


A Love Affair to Remember /or/ School Time Romance

by sulphuriccherry



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Spider-Man - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Student/Teacher, Falling In Love, First Kiss, First Time, Fluff, M/M, Slow Burn, Smut, Taboo, Teacher-Student Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-22
Updated: 2021-01-31
Packaged: 2021-03-08 20:40:17
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 30
Words: 100,013
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27142570
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sulphuriccherry/pseuds/sulphuriccherry
Summary: There's a new staff member at Peter's school that seems to catch his eye, and his heart. Mr. Stark was everything he had ever wanted and more. A love affair to remember.A shamless teacher / student, slow burn fic - will be ridiculously long, smutty, fluffy, angsty and just what you needed.
Relationships: Peter Parker/Tony Stark
Comments: 279
Kudos: 260





	1. The First Meeting

Don't we all know the classic story? A young innocent boy loses his parents and has to live with his uncle and aunt. They were lovely to him and helped him grow, and the next thing they knew, his uncle was taken away from him making his family even smaller. 

Peter grew up just him and his Aunt, and being bullied at school certainly did not help. He had one friend, and no self esteem. But hopefully soon, all of that would change.

It all began the moment the school announced that they were getting a new principal teacher. The old one was nice, but apparently she saw better things for herself. Which was fair enough, who would really want to be in charge of so many teenagers?

Peter was excited, because not only was this principal going to be a new face in the crowd, but he was also going to be the new English professor. Peter was a secret writer, he wrote all the time. Poems and stories mainly, but he really wanted to change the world with his words.

The new head was apparently a published author, which made him even more excited. A real writer to learn from? That was a dream come true. All of Peter Parker's 17 years on this earth had been quite traumatic and depressing, but he found solace in creating worlds around him where he felt safe. 

With words, he could escape into a world where he was loved, cared for and wanted. A world where his parents and uncle were alive, where magic exists and where he could be anyone he wanted to be. He'd never shown anyone his work before, and was just getting up the courage to show his last English Teacher, but he died. 

Peter prayed that this teacher didn't pity him like all the rest. That he didn't treat him differently because of his situation, and that he didn't get the misfortune of witnessing Peter get bullied. 

-

Luckily the first class on Monday wasn't so bad, it was simple history and Peter basically aced it last year. The professor was really nice and went over the learning plan, which actually seemed quite interesting. But Peter was unfortunately completely preoccupied with creating his own little worlds in his head, staring out of the window. 

Luckily he was sitting with Ned, his best friend, who was taking notes for the both of them. Ned was Peter's best friend and had been since they started school as kids. They were extremely similar in their humour and interests, it was rare that you ever saw them apart. Ned was the best friend that Peter could have asked for.

After the first class, it was straight to English. And by god, Peter couldn't be more nervous.   
You see, Peter has bad anxiety. It's not terrible, but you don't come out of family trauma and bullying completely unphased.

He had a notebook filled with poems and stories in his backpack and an extremely nervous jingle in his step. He and Ned got there early to grab a seat near the front. Ned was completely against being a teacher's pet, and usually Peter was too. But he wanted to make a good first impression. 

"Looks like I'm not in your biology class," Ned spoke as he compared their schedules. "This sucks! Who am I gonna sit next to?"

"At least we have literally every other class together," Peter reminded him as he absent mindedly stared out the window.

"True. So what do you think this new English teacher is going to be like? I hope he's at least young enough to get through the year."

Peter laughed, "That's true," he smiled. "I just hope that he's one of those good teachers. If I have to read To Kill a Mockingbird for the 18th time, I'm dropping out." He turned his head to look at his friend who looked highly amused.

Ned sniggered, "You'd never drop out of English. You love it too much," 

Peter went back to staring out the window as he heard the door open and someone step inside. Immediately the intoxicating smell of his cologne wafted through the room and nearly knocked Peter in a trance. 

"Hello everyone," an older man's voice spoke out into the room. Everyone ceased their chatting as he stepped inside. His voice was even more attractive than his scent, it was smooth and deep, with a sense of warmth to it. Peter could feel his stomach turning into butterflies. 

He turned around to see the most gorgeous man standing in front of him. This man was absolutely gorgeous. His smile was charming, he definitely looked like he had muscles underneath his suit, and his jawline was perfect. The man's hair was black with a little grey mixed in and wow did he know how to wear a suit. The younger man was flustered, not knowing what to think. 

Was THAT the new English professor? The new principal? Wasn't he supposed to be some kind of older man male model?

The devilishly handsome man stood in front of the class with a perfectly tailored grey suit, a white shirt and the most charming smile on his face. "It's nice to meet you all, I'm Mr. Stark, and I'll be teaching you this year."

As he began to talk to the class about their learning this year and getting to know them, Peter couldn't help but stare and completely lose touch with reality. He couldn't understand why he was feeling so attracted to this beautiful older man. Everything about him was just so… wow. The way he held himself was so powerful yet friendly. 

The man went around the room asking everyone to say their names, and luckily he started at the other side of the room. But because Peter wasn't paying attention, he didn't notice that the room felt silent when it was his time. All he knew was that Mr. Stark had moved his gorgeous hazel eyes to look at him. He felt his stomach fluttering as he smiled a little.

Ned nudged him, "Dude,"

Peter shook it off. "Huh? What?" He looked over at Ned, flustered and slightly embarrassed. 

"Introduce yourself," Ned urged him.

"Oh," he whispered before looking back to his new teacher. Mr. Stark was obviously waiting for him, but he looked friendly enough. Peter felt like his heart was going to beat out of his chest. All he was was this god of a man before him, and he was lucky he could even speak. "Uhm, hi, I'm… I'm… I'm Peter."

Mr. Stark's lips curved into a sweet smile, making Peter's heart melt. "Hello Peter, it's nice to meet you."

The younger man turned bright red, he was sure that everyone could see it but he tried not to care. "Nice… it's nice to meet you too, Sir." He loved how his name sounded on the older man's perfect lips.

Mr. Stark moved on to talking to the class again, leaving Peter stuck in that moment where their eyes met and it changed his world forever. 

-

As the class went on, Peter hung onto every word that Mr. Hottie said, scribbling down notes as fast as he could about different things to read up on and research topics to look into. He never really used to do that with other classes, but he didn't want to let this teacher down. 

By the end of class, everyone was ready to go for their morning break and were all eager to get out as soon as possible. But Peter really wanted to somehow talk to the older man. He packed his bag slowly and waited for everyone to start exiting the room.

"Dude, hurry up, I want to get to the vending machine before a line forms!" Ned spoke to him as he waited with his bag on. 

"Uh, you go ahead," Peter told him, nervously holding onto his bag. "I'll catch up,"

Ned furrowed his eyebrows, a little confused before he gave in and left the room. Mr. Stark was sitting at his desk, looking through some paperwork he had when he looked up and noticed that Peter was nervously hovering a few feet away.

"Mr. Peter, was it?" He asked with a smile. 

The younger man nodded, turning a little red again. He hated how pathetic he was acting but he had never felt like this before, so he didn't know how to deal with it. 

"Uh, yeah, Peter… Peter Parker." He bit his lip as he took a step forward. "I uh," he was frazzled, looking down at his shoes. 

The older man leaned back in his chair, "Come have a seat, Peter. Let's have a chat,"

Peter's face lit up, he looked so adorably nervous as he went to grab a seat and pull it over to the other side of his teacher's desk before sitting down. He could feel his heart racing as he looked down at his fingers. "Uh, so are you… a writer?

Mr. Stark nodded, leaning against his armrest and smiling back at him. "I'm a published author." He explained, "I've written five books, and they have all been very popular."

Peter's mouth gaped open, "Oh my god that is so cool!" He smiled widely. "So you, are like, the real deal!"

The older man chuckled deeply, and as he did, Peter's knees went weak. When Mr. Stark smiles, there are little wrinkles on the side of his eyes, and they made him even more beautiful. "I am. Are you interested in writing yourself?" 

Peter nodded enthusiastically, "I am, I actually… uh, want to be a writer too." 

That seemed to intrigue the older man as he raised his eyebrows and nodded with approval. "You do, do you? What sort of things do you write, Peter?" 

The younger man was so nervous he was nearly shaking. He couldn't believe that the new professor was this fucking attractive! He felt like his heart was going into overdrive.

"I write poetry." Peter blurted out, "And uh, stories. I want to write books. I've been writing since I was really young, my room is overflowing with writing books." He spoke fast as if he were trying to get it all out in a manner of seconds.

"Then I'm glad I have you in my class." Mr. Stark said with sincerity, "I really want to get people into the art of the use of the English language. It's rather beautiful, don't you think?"

Peter grinned, "I do. I especially love it in poetry," he explained, "It's always been something I've been passionate about."

The older man sat up a little and leaned forward to open his drawer. There wasn't much in there but he still had to have a look inside. He pulled out a book with a navy blue cover and gold writing on the front. Mr. Stark placed it on the desk in front of Peter, looking up to him. 

"Here you go, kid. Don't go telling everyone I'm giving out free books okay?" He laughed as he took his hand away. 

Peter scooched forward and picked it up, eyes searching over it. "Is this… is this yours?" He asked as he admired the book carefully.

"Well, it's yours now. But yes, I wrote it. That was my first attempt at a book, not one of the five previously mentioned." Mr. Stark explained. He watched as Peter marveled at it, gently touching the velvety front cover before opening it up. He read the inside and then looked up to his teacher.

"Poetry!?" He asked with a sense of excitement. 

Mr. Stark nodded, "I love poems too. But my publisher didn't think I hit the mark. Why don't you have a read of that, and see what you think?" He offered him. "And keep it for a laugh every now and then."

The younger man's lips curved into the most exquisite smile, "Thank you so much, Mr. Stark! I can't wait!" He beamed as he held it close to his chest. He looked over to see a happiness in the older man's eyes, and was sure he saw a connection there. 

"Do you want to run along to your break?" The teacher offered him. 

Peter shrugged, "I'm not much of a normal teenager around here. I guess I'd rather read poetry than hang out by the bleachers and bully people." He immediately regretted saying that. He didn't want Mr. Stark worrying about him, but it seemed like it was too late.

The older man's smile dropped and he looked a little more serious and concerned. "Do we have a bullying problem here, kid?"

Peter swallowed and nodded. "Uh… basically… yeah." He half smiled and then looked down at the book he now held in his lap. "Thanks for the book, Mr. Stark," he tried to cover up as he stood up and picked up his bag in an embarrassing mess. "I'll be sure to, uh, read it."

The older man watched as Peter fumbled about and left, closing the door behind him. When Peter left the classroom, he leaned against it with the biggest grin on his face. 

Oh god, was he falling for Mr. Stark?


	2. Poetry

Peter sat up all night by his nightlight, reading through the book of poetry. He was hung up on every word, like they had been written especially for him. Mr. Stark had a way with words, he made the english language even more attractive and beautiful by stringing them in such a way which spoke to the younger man's soul. 

There were poems about different sides to his emotions, it began with the ramblings

" - and as the shadows of my parents turn back into a distant memory - "

Maybe he didn't have parents either. Peter felt heartbroken for him, but found it strangely reassuring that people can make it through such a big loss.

Then he came to the passion section of the book, where Mr. Stark wrote endless poems about the deepening mysteries of love and to be loved. With each and every beat of the page, Peter found himself drowning in the words like a sea of emotions, keeping himself afloat with the hope of what was yet to come.

" - I dreamed of touching him softly and bare, thoughts of such I daren't share -"

Peter blinked, eyes widening as he gasped. Mr. Stark was into men? Or at least had thought about men. Most of the poems were about women, but this one, amongst a mess of hetero musings, a hidden gem. It read like a man struggling to understand the feeling inside of him, even if it was just once in his life.

Peter realised, his new teacher might actually be open to men, if he was good enough that was. He realised that this poem was the longest, and at 2.10 am, he devised a plan to get the older man's attention. He wanted to know Mr. Stark in a more personal way, to see if this was a crush or just the start of having a hero. 

But when Peter closed his eyes, Stark's face clouded his mind, and he knew things were just going to get worse from here.

\---

Peter practically skipped to school the next day, eager to get the man alone at some point. He had a double period of English after break, so he just had to wait it out. First class was biology which sucked not really knowing many people there, but since he was pretty smart in that field it pretty much flew by. 

He kept Mr. Stark's book, safe in his bag, thinking about reading it all through the day. By the time he got to English, he got to the class to find that a group of girls had taken all the front seats, eager to be near the older man. 

Peter sighed and he and Ned took the spare seats at the back of the class. Peter spent the first five minutes waiting for Mr. Stark glaring at them as they all gossiped about who's pretty enough to get the man's attention. 

But when the door opened and Stark walked in, Peter's worries seemed to fade away. The older man walked through the door with the most charming smile, hands holding a pile of paperwork as he greeted the class.

Yep. 

Peter was hooked. 

He wanted to be the star pupil, to be noticed by the man at any time he could. As Mr. Stark went through the first block of work they were going to do, Peter put his hand up and asked smart questions which seemed to get the other students to laugh at him, but he could see that Stark appreciated it. 

"Now everyone, I am going to give you half an hour to write something in whichever style you prefer. I want this to be about something you're passionate about, something that you think about when you should be doing other things." Mr. Stark smiled as he spoke to the class. 

"This is so I can understand your writing styles, and what you love so I can make this class up in a way that brings out the best in you." The older man looked around the worried faces in the room, his eyes settled on Peter's. 

"I'm really looking forward to what you write." 

The younger man could feel the blood rush to his cheeks as he savoured the 3.6 seconds he eyes connected with his teacher. He bit his lip and looked down at the paper, trying to hide his grin as he blushed heavily. 

Mr. Stark started the clock and they all got to writing, well, Peter did. Everyone else whispered to each other and struggled with what to write. By the end of the class, everyone had something written and Stark came around, gathering them all up and piling them up on his desk. 

When he approached Peter's desk, he smiled and made sure to put his work on the top. Peter took this as a sign, a sign that Mr. Stark thought he was special, that he was better than anyone else, than everyone else. 

My god, Peter was acting like a lovesick teenager… wait, that's exactly what he was. As he watched his teacher walk away, his eyes trailed slowly over his body, heart thumping as he imagined it without clothing. 

Peter had never been one for fantasising and daydreaming like this, in fact, he hardly ever had crushes. He assumed he was straight but apparently not, and now it was like all he could think about was touching and kissing. He noticed Stark's arms, how thick and muscled they were, he must spend a lot of time at the gym. 

Before he knew it, the bell rang out and everyone headed out for lunch, but he wanted more time with his teacher, so he told Ned to go and grab them a table somewhere. 

Once they were alone, Stark was sitting at his desk, as he turned to see Peter still there. And then he smiled, a sweet smile just for him and Peter's knees went weak. 

"Hey, Mr. Parker," Stark said in a friendly voice. "Are you my lunch buddy today?"

Peter nodded, completely forgetting about Ned and grabbed his bag before walking over to sit at the desk closest to his teacher. "If that's okay," Peter replied nervously. 

Stark nodded and leaned down to reach his bag. "Of course. I brought in my own lunch today, turns out I don't like the cafeteria food." He chuckled as he pulled out a lunchbox and sat it on the table. 

Peter's eyes couldn't believe how goddamned beautiful the older man looked, how every part of his face was flawless in every way. He had completely forgotten in all his excitement that he didn't have any food and Ned had offered to buy him some. Great. Now he couldn't eat.

"So tell me, Peter." He turned to see the younger man sitting there nervously. "How did you find the assignment?" He opened the box.

The younger man had to use all his energy to fight off the blush, "Uhh, I enjoyed it actually." He cleared his throat as he looked down at his bag. "I think I wrote okay, but it usually takes me longer to perfect it so I'm worried," he confessed. 

"Shall we read through it?" Mr. Stark raised an eyebrow, "I bet it's better than you think it is." He placed his hand on top of the pile as he tilted his head and shot him an encouraging smile. "Nobody likes their own work."

"Uhhh," Peter worriedly looked at his teacher and then to the pile. "Uhm, okay." 

"Good. Let's get into it," The older man turned to look at the pile, picking up the first one and reading the top to make sure it was Peter's. "You can eat in here if you want," 

"I uh, don't have any food, Sir." Peter told him sadly, trying not to make this into a 'poor Peter' moment. 

Mr. Stark looked over at him, "Did you bring money for the cafeteria?" 

Peter shook his head, "No. We're kind of… well, poor, Sir." He told him ashamedly. 

Mr. Stark would see the fear and sadness in the younger man's eyes, realising how miserable admitting that made the younger man. In truth, he felt sorry for the kid. He seemed to not have many friends, and not any money, but such an eager mind to learn. 

He felt like this could be the student he was able to help, the one where he could help him change his life around. Seeing Peter sad made him worried and concerned, it was only the second day here and it was piling on.

"What do your parents do?" Stark asked him, leaning on his elbow. 

Peter paused. He could feel a lump in his throat as his eyes watered up, staring down at the floor. He wanted to tell Mr. Stark, he wanted to tell him everything. But he couldn't, he couldn't bring himself to say those words.

"They don't work." Peter told him sadly, "My, uh, aunt lives with us and she works at a diner. Makes just enough for rent and dinner,"

The older man furrowed his eyebrows. "Diner workers never make enough for rent, what's your place like, Peter?" 

The younger man shrugged. "Small. It has leaks, needs some work done I guess." He stared holes into the floor as he let all of his shitty life into the air. "I have my own room at least." He half smiled and looked up to Mr. Stark. "But I have my writing, and that's my escape. When I'm cold, we can't really put on the heating so I'll curl up in bed and read about far off, warm places."

Mr. Stark closed his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath in. Words couldn't describe how sad he felt for Peter. He saw in Peter, himself at that age, and it made him want to help. He felt sorry for him, knowing that such a wonderful and sweet kid didn't have the things he needed.

"Come share my lunch, kid." Tony offered him, "I have sandwiches, fruit and snacks. You can have my water, I'm not thirsty." He offered as he pulled out a bottle from his bag. 

Peter noticed that the bottle was a reusable one, meaning that the older man's lips had definitely been on it. He wasn't thirsty either but he accepted it. He brought his chair a little closer nervously. "Thank you, Mr. Stark. You don't have to." He said in a small voice.

"I'm not letting you go hungry, okay? As of tomorrow, I'm going to bring in extra food and you can come see me before lunch to get it. You don't have to sit with me and eat it, but you do have to eat it okay?" Mr. Stark said in the most comforting and caring voice. 

Peter could have cried at how wonderful the older man was treating him, for the first time a non-related adult was being nice to him. Caring about him. Wanting him to do well. 

As they stuck into the food, Peter daydreamed about how these lunch dates were going to go, about how he is going to be able to spend 5 lunches a week in the classroom with the coolest and most amazing man he'd ever met. He was going to get so much out of this, feed his crush, learn so much, earn brownie points, and maybe, just maybe, get the older man to like him.

Mr. Stark read over Peter's poem, taking his time to really take it in. He smiled to himself in amazement as he noticed the younger man's talent. 

"Kid." Mr. Stark breathed out as he sat back, and looked over at Peter. The younger man looked worried like a deer in headlights as he awaited his first critique. 

Stark placed his hand on the paper and grinned, "This… this is amazing." 

Peter's face dropped, his eyes widened with surprise as his mouth hung open. "It… it is?" He asked in an unsure tone, not believing him entirely. "You don't have to say that."

"I'm not saying it because I feel like I have to, Peter. I genuinely think you have a talent here. I think you are much further on than I expected you to be, and I would be really happy to continue to work with you on this." He looked at him seriously, talking as a poet himself. 

Peter's eyes filled up with tears as he broke out into the most amazing grin, his face the most perfect picture of happiness. "Really?" He asked as he could feel himself filling up with excitement and eagerness. 

Mr. Stark noticed how happy the younger man looked, it made him feel like he didn't get this kind of support anywhere else. 

"Really." Mr. Stark confirmed, "I think this is truly amazing. You have a lot of talent inside of you, Peter."

Peter blushed as he continued to eat his half of Stark's lunch, finishing it off as he couldn't stop smiling. He wanted to cry! A published writer, an english teacher, a principal, a hottie, called him talented! That was by far, the best compliment he had ever gotten. 

The rest of lunch was spent talking about the things Peter liked and disliked about the school, only slightly alluding to the bullying problem. He didn't want to give too much to Mr. Stark to deal with. 

By the time lunch was over, Peter was sad that he had to go. But he still had three more days this week to spend time with Mr. Stark, and that's exactly what he did. 

Each day, he turned up at the beginning of lunch and sat down in the classroom. Mr. Stark handed him his own lunchbox with a sandwich, extra snacks and goodies and two drinks, one water and one soda. 

Peter was living on cloud nine, he was falling harder every day, smiling as he laughed and joked with Mr. Stark as he helped him with his marking. It was sort of like having a best friend? Each and every moment just got better. 

He realised that Mr. Stark had a great sense of humour, that he was also into comic books and superhero movies! They both loved the colour red, and Mcdonalds cheeseburgers! Both of them would pick flying as their superpower, and had a love for animals. It was like they became best friends.

By the time Friday came around, Mr. Stark was really enjoying his time with Peter. It seemed to be that he was able to be like a mentor, giving him writing tips and life advice. Peter would just sit there and take notes all through lunch, eating up every word. 

The last ten minutes of Friday lunch, and Peter wasn't ready to go. 

"I read your book," He told him. "I really enjoyed it. You're such a good poet, I don't know why the publishers didn't like it."

The older man shot him a smile, "Thanks, Peter. I appreciate that, you're one of the only people I've ever let read that." Mr. Stark explained.

"So I'm special that way?" Peter found himself saying, completely embarrassed the second he said that. 

Mr. Stark chuckled, "Yeah, kid. You're special. Did you have any thoughts about my work?"

The younger man nodded enthusiastically as he sat up on his chair, excitedly getting ready to tell his opinions. Mr. Stark laughed a little at the younger man's eagerness, an amused look on his face. 

Peter began to ramble on with a smile, speaking fast as he wanted to get in all of his emotions whilst reading and his thoughts before lunch was over. 

"So, firstly, I LOVED that you broke it down into sections of your life, because your structure as well as your poetry tells a story of your development and by the end, with the poem entitled; 'A New Sun' I literally started to cry because of how raw the emotions are! And I was so happy and proud of how you pulled yourself out of such a dark place!"

Peter carried on with his mind going one hundred miles per hour, his mouth flowing with praise.

"And then when you talked about looking back on the hardest years of your life, I felt like if you could get better… then maybe I could - you know?" He looked hopefully up to the older man who was leaning back in his chair. 

Mr. Stark was leaning on his elbow and he looked… extremely touched. Like this was something he had been waiting to hear. "Thank you, Peter." He smiled the most genuine and beautiful smile, catching his eyes. "That means a lot."

"You're welcome, Sir."

Mr. Stark looked over the younger man's face and then to the desk. He thought for a moment, knowing he didn't have long left. He checked his watch and then looked at the door.

"Peter, open your bag." He told him, pointing at his backpack. "Quickly," 

Peter was extremely confused but did it anyway, looking around as if he was looking for someone watching them. Mr. Stark opened his own bag and pulled out a thick envelope, sliding it into Peter's back and ushering him to close it up again.

"What… what's in there, sir?" Peter asked with furrowed brows. 

"That," his teacher leaned into him. "That's money for food for you and your family this weekend. I want you to eat three meals, both days. Can you do that for me?" He asked in the most caring and serious way. 

Peter got lost in his eyes, he could really feel the connection growing. He was sure that they both felt it. He nodded, "I… I don't know what to say." He replied sweetly. "Why are you doing this?"

"Because," Mr. Stark sat back against his chair. "You're a good student. You're a good kid. And you deserve to have the same life as every other kid in your class." He explained.

Peter felt warm inside, like he was being told he was cared for. His stomach filled with butterflies like it did every time Mr. Stark spoke, but now it felt like a swarm. His heart was beating faster as he bit down on his bottom lip. 

"Thank you," he whispered. "Generally people don't care about me. They don't see me, I can't thank you enough."

The older man sighed heavily and shook his head. "If things are going on at home, or you're getting bullied I need you to tell me." He explained. 

Peter stayed silent, not knowing what to say. He didn't want to admit to being an orphaned kid who got targeted by the other guys in his year. 

Mr. Stark sighed and carried on talking. "Even so, I have spoken to all your other teachers, and they all say what an amazing student you are. So I know I'm investing good time in you," he spoke softly. "I need you to look after yourself, so please, eat and reach out. Promise me?"

Peter nodded as the bell went. "I promise."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Private twitter @sulphuriccherry 
> 
> Remember to comment and tell me what you think! ❤ I love you all so much!


	3. The Mall

The weekend was long for Peter, he thought about Mr. Stark the entire time. He missed him, is that weird? Sure, they haven't known each other for that long, but there was a strong connection, or at least that's what Peter felt. He felt electricity every time their eyes locked, like his body was on fire. There was something so pure and wonderful about the older man's voice, his smile, the way he spoke. 

He quickly became Peter's biggest crush. The gorgeous, intelligent, funny man who took over his mind and set up residence in his heart. He couldn't stop thinking about how much he would sacrifice to be in those strong arms. Peter would close his eyes at night and dream about the older man's arms around him. 

Oh yeah, he was in deep.

On Saturday he woke up and went through to the kitchen to find his aunt sighing over the bills. Her head was in her hand as she looked over the papers, tapping her pencil on the table lightly. 

"Aunt May, everything okay?" 

She looked up at him, perplexed and exhausted. "No, I mean, it's not that bad. But we can just about make rent this month." She explained, "We don't have enough for dinners this week, so I've called the diner asking for more shifts. Maybe I can get us some free meals there?"

Peter half smiled, he had no idea how much money Mr. Stark had given him, but he hoped it would be enough for a few days. "Wait here," Peter said before disappearing into his room and fetching his bag. 

He opened the envelope when he was in his room, to check how much there was there. As he counted it, he couldn't believe his eyes, noticing that there was at least $150 there! Peter was shocked, how the hell could Mr. Stark afford to just give him that?? Well, he was a writer with a well paying job, but to just give a student that. 

Peter blushed, he felt so special. He took a twenty dollar bill and kept it in his pocket, before returning with the rest of the money and handing it to May. 

His aunt gasped as she looked up at him in surprise. "What? Peter… where did you get this money?" She asked him in surprise. "You didn't steal it right?" She took it and went through them to count it up.

Peter shook his head and sat down across from her, "I took a few shifts with Ned at the game store, I want you to have it. We can get food for the week,"

May's eyes filled up with tears as she accepted the money and stretched her hand over to hold onto Peter's. She squeezed it and smiled, "Thank you," she said through teary eyes. 

Together they went to the shop and found enough food for them for the week, and also managed to get themselves lunch whilst they were out. May was so thankful to Peter that she let him have all the leftover money to go spend on himself.

Of course, he didn't want to tell May where he actually got the money from. Because immediately she would ask why on earth a head teacher would give that amount of money to a student! And what exactly was he trying to get out of her nephew?!

As Peter walked around the shops while his aunt was off getting toiletries, Peter wandered around the mall aimlessly, not really looking where he was going. His head was in the clouds as he thought about what next week was going to be like. 

He started to get butterflies again, just thinking about spending lunch with the older man. It was sort of like a date! Lunch, conversation, laughing, getting along. Peter wondered if the older man saw it that way, because it was only him that got that treatment. Unless… no, Mr. Stark won't be just giving out books and money to other students, he wouldn't do that to him.

Hold on, had Peter subconsciously gotten himself to believe that he was in a relationship with the older man? If Mr. Stark didn't see him that way, he was going to. Peter was sure of it, I mean, he was the perfect partner after all. 

They liked all the same things; food, music, poetry, literature, jokes and subjects. Plus, Peter was pretty much what every older man who liked men wanted. Not that he was sure that his new teacher liked men, but there was a hunch. And Peter was adamant to find out. 

As he stopped outside a shop to lean against a pillar and check his phone, he heard the most beautiful laugh in the world.

Peter's body shivered, goosebumps swarmed his body as he felt his spirits lifted. A blushing smile crawled onto his face as he flicked his eyes up to see the gorgeous Mr. Stark coming out of a store, sharing a joke with the shop assistant. 

Peter perked up, straightening his shoulders and pretending to be nonchalant. He tried to breathe normally as he tried to hide the fact that he was staring. As Mr. Stark talked to the assistant, his eyes made their way to look over at the shop door, catching Peter's eyes.

The moment their eyes met, Peter was frozen, he watched as the older man smiled wider, thanking the man he was talking to and exiting the shop. 

Peter's heart pounded as he tried to keep himself from acting stupid, he could see that his teacher was walking towards him. He didn't know whether to stay or escape, what was he going to say?!

"Hey there, Peter." Mr. Stark greeted him with a smile, making the younger man's knees go weak. 

"Uh, hi… hey Mr. Stark," he smiled adoringly, nearly losing his footing as he stood up. 

The older man looked around and then back at him, "Are you out with friends? Where is everyone?"

Peter shrugged and half smiled. "Not really," he said nervously. "I don't have many of those I'm afraid, my uh, my aunt is buying some food with the money you gave us."

Stark nodded in understanding, "How did you tell her you got it?"

"Uh, I told her I did some work at Ned's uncles shop. She seemed to buy it, I didn't wanna, you know, make a big thing out of it…" he nervously bit his bottom lip. Peter decided not to ask the older man, but his mouth ran faster than his brain could think.  
"Unless you like, give that sort of thing out to any student." 

His teacher clenched his jaw and looked around them again, checking who was around. "Walk me to my car?" Tony asked in a friendly tone. 

Peter nodded before he could remember he was supposed to be waiting for May. He shouldn't be that long, but he wanted to have any alone time with the man as he could. "Let me hold your bags," he found himself offering. 

Mr. Stark chuckled and handed him his shopping before gesturing with his head which way they were going to walk. "Come on then, I'm just parked out back."

The younger man walked alongside him, hearing his heartbeats ring louder than his footsteps. "So uh, do you? Give money out to… like… other students?" He asked anxiously, looking over to him. 

Mr. Stark raised his eyebrows and looked over to him, "How much do you think a writer makes, kid?" He asked in amusement. "I'm not exactly 'Tony Stark, Billionaire'. You're the only person I've given anything to." He walked out the side door and held it open for Peter. 

The younger man blushed as he walked through, "That's cool." He cleared his throat as he tried to act like it didn't affect him. 

"How are things at home?" Mr. Stark asked him as they walked over to the car park. "Everything okay?"

Peter nodded, "It's okay. It could be better, could be worse. At least I've not got any brothers or sisters to worry about."

"Only child too, huh?" Tony asked as he pulled out his keys and unlocked a rather shiny looking black car. "I bet it gets lonely."

Of course it was, but Peter didn't want to sound completely miserable. "It's alright, I don't really know any other way so it's not like I know what I'm missing out on." He paused as he watched his teacher open the car door and turn to take the bags from him. 

"Probably best that way," Stark commented as he placed the bags and shut the door. 

Now it was just the two of them, standing face to face in an empty car park. The sun shining on Stark's face, touching his skin and making him shine. The glow of his eyes were mesmerising, and Peter was hopelessly gazing up at him as his curls lay against his forehead. 

"So -" they both said at the same time, causing the older man to chuckle as shake his head softly in amusement. Peter giggled in reply, looking down for a moment before reconnecting their eyes. 

"I really appreciate everything you're doing for me," Peter said with a confident smile, falling into the easy trap of feeling comfortable. "I don't really have any… uh, male role models in my life."

Mr. Stark frowned, "What about your father, Peter?"

Peter's smile faded as he tried to figure out how to reply to that. "He's not around much." Okay, so it was a little white lie. "I don't have many people,"

The older man nodded. "I'm sorry, kid. Things will get better," he gave him a comforting smile. "I promise." 

The younger man looked down at the ground for a moment and took a deep breath in, Stark's cologne flowed through his nose. God, he smelled amazing. 

Peter wasn't sure whether Stark felt the same, but only one thing would be able to tell him. If he asked for a hug, and Stark accepted it, then they were both interested in each other, and these weren't just meetings. These were dates. If not, he'd be heartbroken, but he would keep going until he got that hug.

"Sir?" Peter asked, chewing his bottom lip slightly. He felt pathetic. "Can I… can I get a hug?" 

There was a silence for a moment that felt like forever to Peter. Mr. Stark looked at his saddened face, those sad eyes looking so alone and miserable. He sighed heavily, Mr. Stark couldn't exactly tell what it was, maybe it was because the younger man was lost and alone, but he felt the need to comfort him. "Come on then," he opened up his arms.

Peter looked up at him in surprise, his eyes lighting up, "Really?" He smiled slightly with his eyes still teary and lost. Stark was into him! Oh my god now things were just going to go up from here!

"You were my first friend here, kiddo." Stark smiled, "Come on, I need to get home before my ice-cream melts." He said with a little laugh.

Peter fell into his arms, wrapping his around the older man's waist and pressing up against his chest. He didn't want to let his opportunity slip him by, so he nuzzled himself into Stark as close as he could. He could feel the older man's arms wrap around him, holding him in return. 

Peter was in heaven. He savoured each second, breathing him in deeply, knowing that this was the only thing that was going to keep him sane. Stark smelled like safety and home, and Peter could feel his strong frame under his shirt. 

The older man stroked his back as he let himself lower his head a little. Before he realised what he was doing he breathed in and smiled. "Time to go back to your aunt," he told him. 

Peter nodded, staying there for a few seconds longer before begrudgingly pulling away. "Thank you, Mr. Stark," he said sweetly. 

"Peter, when we're not in school, you can call me Tony." The older man told him as he took a few steps back towards his car door. "Look after yourself, kid."

The younger man beamed at him as he nodded, moving out of the way for the car. He stayed there until Tony drove away, waving at him with the biggest smile in his heart.

He managed to get to May as she exited the shop, hardly noticing that he walked off with a strange man. And for the rest of the day, Peter was living in a fantasy world. 

\---

He couldn't sleep, instead he sat reading everything it said on Google about Mr. Stark… or as he gets to call him… Tony! Ah how cool was that?! Peter was sure there was a connection there, something was definitely going to happen between them. It had to. Tony obviously liked him back, now it was just time to make him admit this.

According to an interview when his first book came out, Mr. Stark had a thing for the band ACDC, and luckily enough, May had brought him home a selection of hand-me-downs from someone at work's kid, who loved ACDC too! So Peter was going to try and peak the man's interest. 

After he scrolled for so long, he managed to find the older man's address on one of his work websites. Peter didn't know why he decided to write it down and keep it, but he did. He wasn't planning on ever using it, but how great would it be to accidentally run into him again outside of school? 


	4. She

Peter was heading for school earlier now, May didn't even have to make sure he got up, because he was too excited for what the day was going to bring him. He knew that Tony liked him in some way, so he was going to milk that feeling for all that it was worth!

The first thing he made sure of, was that he wore that slightly tight ACDC shirt, that was going to definitely catch the older man's eyes. Hopefully then they could have a conversation about music and see what they have in common. The second thing was to make sure he knew where the line was, that is, the line of how much he was allowed to flirt before Tony pushed him away. 

The second he walked into class, he made sure to catch the older man's eyes. Tony smiled and nodded in a polite and friendly way before turning to the other students. 

During the long, drawn out class, as people in his class complained to each other, Peter's attention was placed on the older man, and him alone. He sat his shoulders backwards and made sure to look as poised as he could. 

Eventually he began tapping on his table with his pencil, staring off at Mr. Stark as he spoke. There was something so comforting and safe about him, those were the words he had chosen. He knew that Tony was a good man, a kind man. A man with a big heart and a kind smile. 

Peter couldn't remember ever seeing anyone quite so beautiful as he. His jawline was impeccable, and there wasn't a stray hair on his flawless chin. What a man. 

"Mr. Parker, could you please stop tapping your pencil?" Stark asked, bringing him out of his daze. Peter blinked and sat up a little, noticing that people were staring at him. 

"Sorry, Sir." He smiled slightly as he placed the pencil down again. 

Tony carried on with the class, and as he did so, he noticed Peter. He noticed when Peter walked in that he had an ACDC shirt on that was short sleeved and his arm muscles were on show. Tony noticed when Peter's eyes glazed over as they stared up at him during class. He noticed all of this. 

The very moment that class was over, Peter perked up, sitting and waiting for everyone to leave until it was just him and the object of his affection again, and everything was bliss. 

Mr. Stark sat back on his chair, sighing with a smile. He looked over at Peter with a semi-amused smile as he stood with his bag in his hands. "So are you going to take a seat, Peter?"

Peter nodded eagerly as he grinned, walking over to claim his seat next to Tony's desk. "What's for lunch today, Sir?"

Tony moved over and pulled out a massive lunch box from his bag. "Tuna sandwiches, chips, fruit, junk, the lot. There's a real feast for us in there," he smiled as he watched Peter open it up and pull things out. 

"Woah, thanks Mr. Stark!" He grinned. 

As they tucked into their food, they talked about the meaning behind old poems before Peter picked up the courage to do his own digging. He ached to know more about the man from his own mouth, it was like Mr. Stark was some new obsession that he couldn't shake off. 

"I see you're wearing an ACDC shirt," Tony offered to him as he sat leaned back, turning his chair and crossing his legs. "Big fan?"

In actuality, Peter had never really listened to ACDC until last night, where he made sure to learn a few lyrics, anecdotes and song names. 

"Obviously." Peter said with a playful smirk, "Back in Black is obviously one of the best, but I also love It's A Long Way To The Top." 

Mr. Stark seemed to be impressed, which of course Peter was internally praising himself for. The older man took another bite of his sandwich and nodded, "Good choices there, kiddo. I like those too."

Peter could feel his heart fill up with that warmth again. It was like getting any sort of praise of validation from the older man was making him feel like he could float. 

"Mr. Stark," he started, not knowing exactly if this was the right path to go down. "I remember you telling me you're an only child, that must be good having all your parent's time to yourself?" He asked with a smile, batting those beautiful eyes at the older man. 

Stark paused, shot him a smile and took a bite of his sandwich. "I suppose for a time," he chewed and swallowed before carrying on. "Not since I was a young man, I'm afraid." Tony looked down at the desk, resting one hand on the desk as he leaned on his other elbow. 

"How come?"

"Well," Tony tilted his head. "Put simply, they're dead, Peter." He spoke softly, chills going down Peter's back. So Tony was lost too. With no siblings, no parents… barely even a living relative to speak of? Yeah, they were definitely connected. 

Peter felt his heart drop to the floor as he took a deep breath, knowing that no amount of "I'm sorry"'s are going to make any of this better. This is when he decided to take a chance, probably the biggest chance he has ever taken thus far in his life. 

Peter slowly stretched out his soft hand and gently lay on Tony's large, warm one. The second their hands connected, it was like a light was turned on inside the younger man, he felt good. No, magical. 

The older man's eyes shot down to see what was happening, staring at their fingers, still, but together. Peter was terrified, but he didn't want this to end. "It'll get better." Peter said softly. "It has to."

Tony nodded, taking in a deep breath. He couldn't continue eating, not while his eyes were on Peter's hand. It felt so warm and soft, the sweetest hand of all. And he knew he should have stopped it, but he couldn't bring himself to. What was he to do in this situation? Break a kid down? He promised himself he would never yell at a student, never make them feel like his teachers made him feel back in the day. 

He had to do this the right way. But damn, did he love the sight of their hands together.

"You're a wise kid, Peter." Tony spoke, not daring to look him in the eyes if their hands were going to be this close. "Uh…"

Peter ignored the man's hesitance but kept the note in his head that Tony hadn't coiled away in disapproval. "I know… what it's like to be so lost." He admitted quietly, staring at the side of the older man's face. "It's hard," he leaned in a little towards the older man's personal space, as the tensions were rising higher. 

Tony nodded and swallowed, sounding a little flustered he spoke, "Yeah… yes it is." He cleared his throat, "But uh, you know, things look up. Every once in a while we get something good coming to us… you know?"

Peter smiled and nodded, he could feel himself blushing, his face heating up. "I do." He whispered. "I think… I think you're my good thing."

The older man looked at him with a concerned look on his handsome face, it made Peter grin wider as he let himself simply show the man what it was he wanted. 

There was a moment where Tony stopped being a teacher. A small smile wanted to crawl onto his face but he daren't let it. Peter swore he could have seen a blush against the older man's cheeks but there was no way to be sure. Mr. Stark was unsure what was going on, what he was feeling, what Peter was feeling. All he knew was that right now, he shouldn't be here.

"I'm glad I could be of service," Tony spoke in a smooth voice, he moved his eyes back to their hands. "Uhm. Are you okay?" 

Peter nodded, smiling still. "I am, are… are you okay, Tony?"

"Peter… I…" the moment Tony began to speak, his phone began to vibrate against the table. Peter pulled his hand away and sat back as Tony scrambled to answer it, trying to get his head back into teacher mode as he answered it.

"Uh hello?... Yes… Of course, when will you be in next?, Okay, I'll take over your next class… mhm… I, uh, have to go. Yeah… marking… mhm, okay,... bye!"

Tony put down the phone and paused, staring at the desk to try and figure out his next move. "I'm covering Mr. Frond's history class after lunch."

Peter shot him a grin, "That's my class!" He told him, acting like everything was normal and that they hadn't just been nearly holding hands whilst spilling their souls to each other.

The older man took a deep breath in, scanning the room for a last hope of a thought before he decided just to get it out in the open. 

"I'm not sure what's happening here," he eventually said in a quiet voice. "Care to enlighten me?"

Peter raised an eyebrow, "I uh, I thought this was obvious. You… you like me, right?"

The older man did not answer but simply sat and stared. There was no telling what thoughts were swimming in his mind, he was really quite hard to read. Peter was sure of one thing, he was either about to get kicked out of school, or fucked. He hoped the latter, but he knew the former was more likely. 

"Peter, you don't understand," he began as he turned his chair to talk to the younger man as equals. "There are things… that you might not get right now, but -" 

Peter interrupted him, "I know the rules, I know the whole, older man going for younger kid, grooming shit. But you're not like that, right? I mean, you wouldn't be if you were a principal."

Mr. Stark closed his eyes and tilted his head, sighing as he rubbed his face. "That's not what I meant, but yes, that too, I guess." He leaned back in his seat. "There's more to my story than what I've told you,"

Just as Peter was going to interject and ask what was going on, the bell rang loudly, indicating that lunchtime was over. They were both startled by this, and immediately started packing up and getting ready for the next class. 

The walk to the next class was silent, they couldn't really talk about it in public, but they walked side by side. Peter wasn't exactly sure how Stark was feeling, he prided himself on being able to understand the way the older man's eyes felt. But his own nerves were getting in the way. He didn't want to be shoved aside, and yet, he really wanted to hear what Tony had to say. 

When they got to the class, Peter walked straight in and found a seat in the second row at the center as the older man went to his desk. It was a slightly awkward tension, but only they could feel it. The people surrounding them had no idea something was off.

"Hey dude!" Ned greeted him with a smile loudly. Peter looked up and smiled back, pulling out the chair beside him. 

"Saved you a seat!" Peter replied.

Ned put his bag down and sat beside him, "So how come you're never at lunch anymore? I've had to sit with random people and they are not as into Star Wars as we are." He laughed.

Peter leaned back and looked around the front of the room, catching Tony's eye. The older man was obviously listening to them as he waited for the rest of the class to take their seats. 

"I've just been studying," Peter explained to Ned, "You know what I'm like. If I don't get a scholarship then I'm fucked,"

Ned agreed as he pulled out his notebooks, "You're right. But you're allowed to hang out with me, you know? Not just after schools. I am your only friend," he chuckled, "And you're mine."

"I know, I'm sorry." Peter said to him genuinely, "You're a great friend, I just… really care about this, you know?" He looked back at Mr. Stark, who immediately looked away and began to sort out his papers. 

\---  
Class would have been okay if things went as they normally did. In the last class, when Peter looked up, Tony would catch his eye. But not now. It was like the older man had forgotten the fact that not ten minutes ago they were practically holding hands!

Every single time that Peter raised his hand to answer a question, Mr. Stark purposely chose someone else to answer. Even though Tony knew they didn't know and Peter did.  
It was like he wasn't actually there, which was horrible. Peter really tried to get his attention, but the older man seemed to never notice. 

"Dude," Ned leaned over to him, noticing the cold shoulder given. "What did you do to him?"

Peter's heart fell through his body, "I don't know," he whispered, slouching in his seat. 

Mr. Stark went on to talk about similes and metaphors in modern literature as Peter felt his stomach turn with anxiety, he started not to listen as he stared at the pen in his hand. 

Mr. Stark then handed out some worksheets that he expected everyone to do for the rest of class, in which Peter had the intention of doing it so well that Tony would HAVE to congratulate him. 

It was about ten minutes into the soft silence of work when it happened. The worst thing in the world happened. Peter was focused on his work, pen scribbling answers and ideas like crazy as the door opened. 

The door opened and a few people whispered, "Hello?" A woman's voice spoke out, "I'm looking for my husband, is he here?" She joked with a smile as she entered the room. 

Peter's head shot up, eyes wide as he spied the woman at the door in the perfectly fitted green dress. She had long, ginger hair and a bright smile. Peter hated her. Her highness was wearing heels and had a little bag in her hands. 

Tony gazed up from his desk with a wide grin, standing up almost immediately, opening up his arms to greet her. "There she is," 

Peter could feel his face go red, he had NO idea that the older man was married. There was no discussion of that, no mention, no RING? Surely Mr. Stark would have mentioned that he was involved with someone. He couldn't be more embarrassed! He slouched in his seat as he could feel his eyes start to tear up. 

Stark embraced his wife and introduced her to the class, noticing that Peter wasn't able to look up. The younger man was glaring a hole into his desk, his fingers gently touching his eye, presumably to wipe away a tear. 

"So, to what do I owe this pleasure, sweetums?" Tony asked her, holding her hand like a sickening hetero. (Peter's words.) 

"I came here to give you this," She smiled as she handed Tony the bag in her hands. "Your replacement ring, you know, since you lost the other one."

Tony chuckled, which both made Peter's knee's buckle and his heart feel so much pain. There it was, the obstacle, the thing that Tony was trying to tell him. It stung. 

"Thank you darling, you could have given it to me at home." He smiled as he moved a piece of hair from her face. Someone from the back of the class whistled which made the rest of them laugh. Both Tony and his wife laughed a little, but Peter felt sick.

"I would, but I'm leaving in an hour, remember?" She laughed this sweet laugh, which would make anyone just love her. But Peter gritted his teeth, he didn't like that. He couldn't see why she was good enough for Mr. Stark.

"Oh shoot, yes, when will you be back?" Mr. Stark asked her.

"Three or four days, depending on work. I'll call you," she smiled as she kissed him softly on the cheek. "I'll let you get back to teaching." 

They spoke for a few more minutes before she said her goodbyes to the class. After she left, Stark resumed the rest of the lesson for the day. Peter didn't pay attention, instead he stared out the window wishing he was back home in his bed. 

Why did she have to be so 'pretty'? She seemed lovely which of course made Peter dislike her more. This was the first proper crush he's had, and he was certain that the older man returned those affections, but instead he was sitting there like a chump.

Mr. Stark couldn't like him! Why would he? He's ugly, awkward, says all the wrong things. He isn't tall and ginger, he didn't have those perfect lips or those stupid bright eyes. 

Peter never felt lower. So when the bell rang out and everyone left, he stood up immediately and tried to gather his things away to leave in amongst the crowd. 

"Uh, Mr. Parker. Stay behind please." Mr. Stark spoke out as he stood at the front of the class, watching everyone leave. Peter paused and closed his eyes, taking in a deep breath as he nervously watched the door. He knew that as soon as the last person left apart from them, there would be a serious conversation. One he didn't desire to have.

Once they were alone, Mr. Stark walked a few steps to one the front desks and perched on the side of it. It was the longest few moments of Peter's life as he waited for the hit.

"Peter," Tony's perfect smooth voice flowed through his ears. "I'm sorry." He sounded genuine. 

Peter stood there, holding on tightly to the top of his chair as he stared down, not wanting to see those perfect hazel eyes as he was rejected so badly. His stomach was turning and his eyes were trying not to fill up with tears.

"I was trying to tell you earlier, that's what you need to understand. I'm married. I'm your teacher, your principal." Tony explained to him, "There isn't anything going on between us."

"Bullshit." Peter found himself saying without thinking, his eyes widened the moment he said it, knowing he was going to get shouted at for using such language. 

The older man simply raised his eyebrows and folded his arms over his chest. "Is there more on that thought or are you done?" He asked in a dry tone. 

Peter found a little adrenaline circling inside him, he was shaking a little as his face reddened, trying not to cry as his mouth started working faster than his mind. "You spend every lunch with me, feeding me, telling me everything about you, and… and you hugged me and you gave me money… and books… and we held hands and you didn't pull away, Sir. So… there has to be something right?? If you hated me so much you wouldn't do half of those things,"

Mr. Stark looked at him with sympathy, "Peter, I never said I hate you." He furrowed his brows, "But, I was hoping what we had was more… I don't know. Father and son? Do you not act like this with your father?" 

That's when Peter broke, he started to cry softly, trying to keep it in but failing miserably. His breathing got louder as he cried, tears spilling from his eyes. "I'm going home," Peter spoke as he grabbed his bag.

"Peter, you still have one more class left today. What's going on? Why are you crying?" Mr. Stark really tried to care, he reached out for the younger man who edged away from him, shaking his head. "Peter, please."

"No," Peter sniffled as he wiped his eyes. "I… you don't understand. I need to go," he walked as fast as he could to the door and closed it over. 

Mr. Stark sighed heavily, running his forehead as he thought about everything that had just happened. At least he had a few days to himself to try and sort this out. He really didn't need his wife's opinion on all of this, especially considering he hadn't told her about the money, the book or the hug.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did say I was hiatusing, but I marathoned the Iron Man films and got a little inspiration to write so I hope you enjoy ❤
> 
> Please comment ❤


	5. Rainy Nights

  
Peter skipped his last class and ran home, crying into his pillow for an hour or so. This was his worst nightmare! The only person he had connected with and really wanted, was married to someone! Someone 'pretty' and tall! It felt like a knife to the heart. All he wanted was for some kind of indie movie love story, where the classically handsome older man falls in love with him and they run away together. 

That wasn't too much to ask for was it? Ugh. Everything hurt. His eyes hurt from crying, his heart hurt from breaking and his throat hurt from sobbing loudly into his pillow.

Sure, Peter was young, he was vulnerable in a sense, and he wasn't exactly the most handsome man in the world. But he had the biggest heart of anyone he knew, and he knew that he would be an amazing boyfriend. 

It wasn't until a few hours later that it dawned on him. Mrs. Stark was away for a few days, and Peter had his teacher's address. All he had to do was to think of a rouse to go over there, maybe get invited in. Even if he just got to talk to him at the door, he could kiss him, or find a way to get their friendship back.

Peter didn't let himself sit and figure out whether this was a good idea or not. All he knew was that he was in pain, his Aunt wasn't going to be home until late and he needed to see the older man. 

It was like he craved him. Mr. Stark smelled amazing and it was something he needed surrounding him. He had to find a way to get into his life, he had to try.

Before he knew it, he was putting on his hoodie and heading out into the streets to find the bus that gets him closest. Peter didn't time how long it took to take him there, but it certainly felt like forever. His legs were shaking with nerves. As he got onto the bus, the rain started to pour down hard against the windows. 

Just his luck.

It was probably 20 minutes or so before he jumped off, heading down the more quieter parts of the street to find the house he had seen on google maps. Finally he found it, stopping to see the front of the house. 

The living room lights were on, so he could see that Mr. Stark was definitely in. Peter, at this point, was dripping wet and shivering in the cold. He sniffled as he opened the gate, worried about how this was going to go down. He didn't even have a game plan, he just knew that something would come to him. 

Peter took a hasty breath in and knocked on the door, wiping his forehead as his hands shook with nerves. He could hear a shuffling behind the door as his heartbeat was thumping loudly in his chest.

The door opened slowly and seconds later he was face to face by a very confused looking English teacher. "Peter? What… what are you doing here?" He looked concerned more than angry. He was wearing tartan pajama trousers and a slim fitted t-shirt, and he looked AMAZING!

Peter sniffled as the rain dripped off his face, shivering as he shrugged. He didn't know what to do, but he decided to just lay it all out on the table. "I don't know how to act around a father," he confessed, sounding heartbroken. "I haven't got one."

Tony furrowed his eyebrows, "What do you mean, Peter?" The older man couldn't tell whether they were tears or rain drops falling from his student's eyes. 

Peter tilted his head and looked down, shaking his head. "My… my parents are dead too." He said solemnly, "It's just me and my aunt… and I didn't tell you… because I didn't want you to feel bad for me, I didn't want to be that person."

Mr. Stark sighed, not in anger but in pity. He held the door open wider and moved out of the way. "Come on in, Peter." 

The younger man looked to him in surprise, he had no idea that it could be this easy. He didn't tell him that as a trick or anything, he genuinely wanted to help the older man understand him. But, hey, it worked. Peter slowly walked inside, shivering as he did so. 

"Take off your jumper kiddo, I'll put it in the dryer." He said as he stood behind him and waited for Peter to do so. The younger man handed him his jumper and he walked down the hallway to the dryer, sticking it in and turning it on.

Peter noticed how warm it was as he looked around. The house was really nicely decorated, filled with lots of home furnishings and books. He stood in place as Tony walked back to him.

"You're soaked," Tony commented with a sweet smile. "If you go into the bathroom upstairs, there are some towels. I'll get you some dry clothes and make you a hot drink."

"Uhh, okay, thank you so much, Sir." Peter smiled as he looked over to the staircase, slowly walking to it. As he looked back, Tony had walked away into the kitchen to turn the kettle on. 

What the hell was going on? Peter wasn't able to think or keep track of what he was doing or saying, all he knew was that he was in the love of his life's house and was soon going to be snuggled into clothes that smelled like him. 

He all but ran to the bathroom to dry off. Tony knocked on the door and told him the clothes were sitting outside for him, and within seven minutes, Peter was walking back down the stairs.

He was wearing a pair of Tony's comfortable trousers, a large shirt, and some warm fluffy socks. Everything smelled exactly like the older man and it sent him to heaven. He entered the lounge to see that the TV was on and playing quietly in the background. 

"Here you go," Tony spoke as he walked from the kitchen with a hot mug. "Have a seat," 

Peter took the mug and felt himself blush a little. He had told his teacher before that he loved hot chocolate but he hadn't had it for ages because they couldn't afford luxuries. The younger man turned to walk to the sofa, where he noticed that the older man was going through marking and paperwork with a glass of wine when he arrived.

He took a seat and Tony sat back down where he was sitting at the side of the sofa. He turned down the TV and looked over at Peter. The younger man's nose was red as he wrapped his hands around the steaming hot mug, sipping at it and smiling.

"How are you feeling?" Tony asked him softly in a caring voice. 

"Better now I'm warm, I guess." Peter gave him a sweet smile as he took another sip. "Sorry to disturb your night." 

Mr. Stark chuckled, "No you're not. But I'm kinda glad you turned up, all this marking was making me go insane." He leaned over and picked up his wine, taking a sip. "Wanna talk about it?" 

The younger man sighed, "Well, they both died in an accident when I was like… four I think." He looked down at his feet as he cuddled into the sofa. "Then it was me and my Uncle and Aunt for a while."

"You never mentioned an uncle," Tony told him, taking another sip of his wine before putting it back down on the coffee table.

Peter looked sadly up at his teacher. "He… he was murdered." His eyes teared up a little, "Shot in the middle of the street. Since then… it's just been me and my Aunt. She's the only family I have."

Tony finally understood the reason why Peter was so insecure, clingy, emotional and shy. He had every reason to be, to have gone through all of this at such a young age. He sat forward with an expression of sadness on his face. He was completely horror stricken by the story.

"Peter, I couldn't be more sorry," he spoke from the heart as he closed his eyes for a moment. "At least when my parents died, I was an adult. But you're so young, I can't imagine how hard that is… and your uncle too?" Tony looked at Peter with sympathy as he tried to figure out his next move.

Peter was solemnly watching the space between them as Tony carried on. "You deserve so much better than that shit."

The younger man shrugged, "It's… it is what it is, I guess. I just wish that it didn't mess me up so much."

Tony furrowed his brows and tilted his head. "What do you mean? You're not messed up?"

"My parents are dead, and my uncle got shot, I have no siblings, no money and one friend. I've been bullied my entire life, but at least thanks to you I have somewhere to hide during school lunches so Flash can't beat the shit outta me." Peter explained as he leaned against the back of the sofa. "And the only person I feel myself around is a married principal who sees me as a son… my heart just feels so…"

"Broken." Tony finished for him. Peter looked over at him with a soft yet sad expression. 

"Yeah, broken." Peter whispered, "It's like the world hates me. Poetry really is all I have."

Mr. Stark felt horrible for him, he watched as the younger man's tired eyes were no longer filled with light. He needed someone to help him, to make him better again. And Tony had no idea what he was going to do, or how things were going to pan out. But he wasn't going anywhere. 

"Why don't you stay for a while, Pete? I'll order us some dinner and we can talk for a bit."

A smile crawled over Peter's face, "I'd love that." 

So Tony got up and ordered them some chinese before sitting down on the couch and asking Peter all about the bullying issue. It was weird how comfortable everything was, just sitting and talking with the younger man. After a while, he was able to get Peter to laugh, which made him extremely happy. 

He noticed how when Peter laughed, his eyes lit up and his smile got wider. It was actually really refreshing, and by the time dinner came and went, Tony had completely forgotten that they were a student and a teacher, and instead was extremely comfortable and happy. 

Tony sat with his back against the arm, a glass and a half of wine inside him, his arm resting on the back of the sofa and a smile plastered on his face. 

"So… your poetry," Tony began, "What do you write about? You know, when you're not handing it into me?"

Peter blushed and dug the side of his face into the sofa, "Uuh, mainly… love and depression, I guess?" He snuggled into one of the pillows beside him. 

"You ever written any about me?" Tony found himself asking. He had been thinking about it but had no intention of saying it, maybe it was because he felt so comfortable and happy? 

Peter bit his lip and grinned as his face was blushing ridiculously, "Uh… maybe." He played with the wool on his socks. He felt embarrassed but yet he wanted to tell him about them.

"Maybe meaning… yes?" Tony raised an eyebrow. "Come on, I bet they're really good."

Peter giggled, licking his lips and sitting up slightly. "Okay, yes, I have written a few poems about you. I'll admit it. I can't help it!"

"What are they about? My impeccably fitted suits? My lecturing style?" He joked as he put his fingers through his hair subconsciously. 

Peter watched as the older man stroked his gorgeously thick hair, smiling lovingly at him. "Well, actually." He leaned forward, moving closer towards him but not close enough to touching. Their bodies were probably five or six inches away as they talked. "I wrote one about your eyes."

Tony chuckled, "A whole poem about my eyes?" He asked, "The old and dreamless eyes of an empty confused man, hm."

The younger man looked into his eyes, the perfect and most beautiful smile on his face. He shook his head, "I wrote about how lovely and full of life they are. How when I look at them," He spoke in a soft and sweet voice, his hand itching to move towards Tony's. "I feel like all the issues of the world have gone quiet. I can see the whole meaning of life in those eyes."

His teacher softened, "You… you really like me don't you?"

Peter nodded, "Yeah. I really do. I love so much about you," he smiled as he gently moved his hand to the space between them. "Your smile, your voice… your laugh… your mind… you talent." He had a goofy, in love look on his face. 

Tony watched him as he talked about how much he admired him. He felt like for the first time in forever someone had seen him for who he was, and it made him feel sort of… special? He leaned forward and took another sip of his drink, this time, a bigger one.

There was something about Peter that was so endearing, Tony just had to make a move.

"You're… That's cute." Tony spoke.

Peter's mouth opened and closed like a fish a few times, he was completely thrown, had the man he loves just called him cute?

"What I said was cute? Or… I'm cute?" 

The older man just stared at him, not saying anything. He wasn't 100% sure what to reply, but he found himself gently touching Peter's fingers. The younger man froze as he watched his teacher's warm fingers graze his.

"You're cute." Tony whispered, stroking his hand slowly. Their hands slowly moved against each other, rising slowly so their hands were palm to palm as if they were measuring them. 

Peter couldn't breathe, it was slow and soft but their fingers gently entwined together. The feeling inside the younger man spread like a warmth he never felt before. It started in his fingers and crawled up his arms. 

Tony's eyes were at first on their hands, knowing exactly what this would do to his career and his life, but trusting Peter completely. 

"Mr. Stark?" His voice came out in slightly more than a whisper. 

"Mhm?" Tony asked as he moved in forward, moving his other hand higher to very gently stroke Peter's face. The younger man's sweet eyes gazed up into his. His teacher's face wasn't like he'd ever seen it before, Peter felt like he was really being seen for the first time. 

"Do you… uh… can you… k-"

As Peter was about to ask his principal for his first kiss, the phone rang, making them both jump, taking their hands away from each other immediately. "Every time," Peter scoffed as he sat back. The older man got up and walked over to the phone, nearly dropping it as he tried to accept the call and place it to his ear. 

"Uh hello?... Hey!" He forced a happy laugh, "Yeah I'm fine, yeah, just having a little dinner, watching a little TV… Yeah… uhuh, I miss you too."

Peter sighed sadly and rolled his eyes, slumping into the sofa as he looked out the window. He was SO CLOSE to getting that kiss, so fucking close! Tony watched him as he looked disappointed and insecure, knowing how it must have felt for him, and deciding his next move, even if it was a bad one. 

"Mhm. Okay, Pep. I'm gonna go… yes I know… I know… I can do that… yes… Pepper I know… mhm." He stood there with a grimace on his face as he waited for his wife to stop talking.

Peter sat forward and looked for his shoes, standing up and looking for his phone to put in his pocket. Tony closed his eyes, knowing that this moment could have been so much better. "Pepper, the food's burning, love you, bye!" 

He hung up the phone and put it down, walking over to Peter without missing a step. He was standing behind him, an inch away from his back. Tony told himself this was wrong, but he was actually gutted that the phone had rung in that moment.

"Going somewhere?" Tony whispered against his ear, gently moving his hand to sit against Peter's waist. He could feel the younger man shiver underneath him, he smirked as he breathed in Peter's hair. Peter was hardly able to breathe or think straight, the older man's voice was so low and attractive.

"I just figured…" Peter replied, letting his eyes fall shut. "Maybe…" 

"Turn around."

The younger man breathed in, hesitantly slowly turning himself to face him. He didn't realise how close they were standing, finding himself an inch away from the older man's perfectly filled out chest. He gazed up at Tony, tension filling the room as their eyes met. 

Tony's fingers gently traced the side of Peter's jaw. "You still want that kiss?" The older man asked, holding onto his waist and pulling him against his body. 

"Fuck yes." Peter whispered as he let his hands rise up to hold onto the top of Tony's t-shirt and pull him in.

The older man leaned down, wrapping his arms around Peter's slim waist. He tilted his head and pressed his lips against Peter's softly. The very second they touched, Peter melted into his arms, fireworks exploding inside him. Yes. This was worth the wait. 

Tony knew this was wrong but it felt so right, he moaned very softly into the kiss. It was gorgeously slow and perfect. His partner tasted like cherries and sugar, and he couldn't get enough. The older man tasted of wine and love, at least that's what Peter detected. 

Peter was almost shaking with the intense rush he was feeling, practically pressing his entire body against his teachers. It felt amazing to have the older man against him like this, beyond amazing, it was the best feeling in the world. His entire body was buzzing with need and excitement. 

The older man slowly opened up the kiss, tilting his head as he nibbled at Peter's lower lip. The younger man moaned and oh my god was that music to Tony's ear. He held the younger man's slim yet slightly toned body against him, kissing him deeper and slipping his tongue in his mouth. 

The mere feeling of the kiss sent Peter into a frenzy, he could feel himself getting turned on, his cock twitching in his boxers, but he didn't care.

Peter placed his hands on Tony's neck, pressing his chest against him. He could feel the older man's warm fingers gently slip underneath his shirt and touch the small of his back. Peter had the softest skin, which Tony adored. 

Peter could feel himself getting excited as Mr. Stark's large hands clasped into his shirt. He moaned as he tried to put his tongue into the older man's mouth and was accepted. Tony pressed his crotch against the younger mans, both of them getting needier with the kiss. 

Peter was fully hard now, desperate to thrust up into the older man but was unable to make himself do it in case it was a step too far.

The older man pulled away and put his forehead against Peter's, breathing heavily as his palms lay against the younger man's back. Peter was breathless too, the happiest grin on his face as he looked over at Tony. Tony's eyes were closed, but he was smiling too. 

"We should stop," Tony whispered, "You've not done this before have you?"

"I don't wanna stop," Peter replied, his fingertips stroking the sensitive skin of Tony's neck. "Please don't make me stop."

"Good answer," Mr. Stark moved forward and captured him in a hungry kiss, nearly knocking Peter off of his feet. Peter's arms were around his neck as he felt himself being led towards the couch, both of them moaning into each other's mouths. 

"Lie down," Tony ordered him. 

Peter did as was commanded and fell back on the couch, staring up at his gorgeous teacher towering over him. Peter could feel himself getting all sorts of excited, his hand reaching to the bottom of his shirt, sliding it up. 

The older man bit his lip as he looked over him, kicking off his shoes. "I wanna do that kiddo, let me take off your shirt." He growled as he went to climb on top of him. Tony's lips attached themselves to Peter's neck, kissing him as his hands slid up the younger man's shirt, feeling him all over. 

Peter was gasping and moaning under him, his hard cock unable to stay out the way anymore. He thrust up against the older man, who groaned in reply. Tony found his nipples and rubbed them gently as he, too, thrust himself down.

"Ohmygod!" Peter moaned as he let his hand wrap around Tony and grasp in his hair. "Sir… You're… you're hard!" 

Tony chuckled against his neck, moving to sit on his knees as he looked down at Peter, the disheveled boy beneath him. "You're a pretty boy, Peter." He smirked, "Of course I'm hard," he picked up Peter's hand and placed it on his clothed cock.

Peter gasped as he looked down to his hand. He was actually feeling Mr. Stark's cock! It was hard because of him, and that felt amazing. The younger man couldn't believe how big Tony was… god, he was never going to stop thinking about it.

"I… I've never done this before, Mr. Stark," Peter confessed as he rubbed his hand against his partner's cock. 

Tony groaned, moving his hips along with his hand slowly. "Well, you're doing a good job," he moved forward and pulled his t-shirt from the younger man's body, chucking it onto the floor. Peter was flushed, open mouthed as he watched the older man take him in.

He smirked as he lay back over the younger man. "Gorgeous." He praised him before he kissed him hard. They both fell into the most amazing, needy kiss as they began to move their hips against each other.

Peter knew that he wouldn't last long, every part of this was driving him insane. The older man shifted and moved against him. The weight of his body felt amazing above him, Peter was clinging onto his back as he moaned into him. 

"My boy," Stark moaned, "My beautiful boy!"

Tony knew this was wrong, but it felt beyond amazing. Peter was so sweet against him, bucking up needily and frantically, wanting him, needing him. The younger man kissed him as though it was the only thing he was ever able to do. 

Mr. Stark's hips went wild, thrusting against him harder, his clothed cock rubbing against Peter's. "You close?" Tony asked in a husky voice, kissing his neck and holding his face with one hand. 

Peter's voice was high and whimpering, his eyes filled with nothing but hopeless desire. "I wanna cum," he nodded, "Please,"

Tony smirked, "Yeah baby, cum for me." He kissed his cheek. "Say my name, you're such a good boy, cum for me!"

"Oh… oh… Oh FUCK! TONY!" Peter cried out as he came hard in his clothes, shaking against the man and holding onto him. The needy moans and whines of the younger man pushed him over the edge. He bucked against Peter, kissing him as he followed suit, groaning loudly into the kiss. 

Both of them lay against each other, gently stroking the other one. Peter took a while to come down from all that excitement, so Tony stroked him and kissed his jaw gently, whispering praises.

"You did so well," Tony whispered. "Such a good boy," 

As he leaned back, he saw that Peter had the most dreamy and happy smile plastered on his face. 

"Look at that smile," Tony cooed, stroking his cheek. "Are you happy, sweetie?"

"So happy," Peter whispered, reaching out to hold onto Tony's shirt and pulling him close. "So happy, Mr. Stark." 

The older man smirked as Peter kissed him softly, wrapping himself around him again. They cuddled up on the couch, wrapped up together. "Me too, kiddo."

\---

  
"We can't talk about this in school." Mr. Stark pulled up across the other side of the street from Peter's apartment. "You understand that, don't you?"

Peter nodded with a smirk and a blush, he didn't want to leave the car. He was fumbling with his fingers as he peered over at the older man. "Yeah… I… I know."

Tony sighed and turned off the ignition, turning around to face him. "How do you feel? I need to know what's going on with you, because this isn't… we shouldn't have done any of that."

"I, uh, I feel amazing actually." Peter confessed, "I really wanted all of that so… don't worry, I'm not gonna use it against you or tell anyone." He peered up at his eyes, getting lost in them. 

The older man half smiled but his eyes still looked a little concerned. "Well that's good news." He licked his lips. "But uhm, I'm a principal and I'm married. And you're a student, so, this isn't… appropriate."

"What are you saying?" Peter asked quietly. "That we have to be secret?"

Tony sighed heavily. "No." He said in a cold tone. "It means… that's it. No more of this, Peter. I can't in good conscious, do this with you." He noticed how the light left Peter's eyes as he looked sadly down at his fingers. 

"Oh." Peter nodded sadly, "So you don't like me." His heart felt like it was shattering! He'd just managed to get in there with the most gorgeous man alive.

"That's not… Peter, that's not what I'm saying." He shook his head as he grimaced with stress. "I could be put in jail. I am risking my marriage, my reputation… all of it." 

"I don't understand, you like me… but you won't kiss me again?" Peter asked, "And what about lunch?"

Tony groaned as he rested his forehead on his arms on the steering wheel. "Fine, okay!" He said as he clenched his jaw and sat back up. "Lunch is still on. You need food." He told him with a straight face. "Not all week, I'll give you your food and you can go and sit with your friend Ned. We're not going to talk about this again."

"So that's it." Peter's eyes watered as he took a deep breath in to try and stop himself from wanting to cry. "Thank you."

Mr. Stark looked at him with an open mouth. Thank you? Why is the boy thanking him? For what? Stealing his youth? Breaking his heart?

"Why are you thanking me?"

Peter shrugged as his chin shivered slightly. "For… for making me think for one minute that… that I was worthy of you… and that I was pretty."

Tony felt a stab in his heart as he tried to keep himself doing the right thing from now on. He locked the car so Peter wouldn't get out before he could keep talking.

"Peter," Tony whispered, "You are pretty. And you are worthy… it's just… You know what? Fuck it. Kiss me."

Peter looked up at him with surprise and hope, "What?"

"Kiss me. Hurry up before someone sees. This is our last kiss so make it a good one," he licked his lips and unbuckled his seatbelt.   
The younger man undid his seatbelt and got up on his knees, nervous as he looked the older man in the eyes. 

"What's wrong?" Tony asked, reaching up to stroke his face. "Don't you want to?"

"If this is the last time… I want to make it last." Peter went bright red after confessing that, closing his eyes as he rubbed his face against Tony's large hand. "I love your hands."

Tony softened up, "You really are pretty." He stroked his cheek. "It pains me to say goodbye to you like this, but, you know we have to right?"

Peter bit his lip and nodded. "I know, it pains me too." He moved forward and pressed his lips against Tony's, kissing him as if he had planned it to last forever. Tony's hands were on his neck as Peter kissed him.

The older man lost himself in the kiss as Peter's tongue trailed over his lip. He wanted to be back on the couch with him. Peter moaned into the kiss as he tried to press in harder but was denied. 

Tony gently pushed him away, rubbing their noses together before they pulled apart. "Perfect." He said with his eyes closed. "Now go before your Aunt calls the police."

Peter giggled and nodded, moving back to unlock the door and open it. "You'll miss me you know." Peter smirked as he got out in his own, dry clothes. 

When he closed the door, Tony sighed, knowing he was right. He would miss him. 

Alot.


	6. Playing with Peter's Heart

Tony didn't sleep. He couldn't sleep.

The week had just started and he messed up his entire life. Damn Peter for turning up in the rain, looking sad and needy. Of course, he didn't blame the younger man for any of this. 

He was the one who let him in, who offered him his clothes. How was he supposed to know just how gorgeous the younger man would look in them? Okay, so Tony shouldn't have got him dinner. But the kid didn't have food, so it was his duty as a good person… right?

Everytime he tossed and turned, his stomach felt sick about what he did. Flashes to putting the younger man's hand on his crotch came into his head, and he tried not to think about how amazing that felt. 

Tony wanted it out of his head, the moment he decided to touch the younger man. To kiss him. That was when he turned his back on everything he believed in, and yes, the younger man was right. Tony did miss him. 

Tomorrow was a Tuesday, that's right. Tony had a whole week of school, trying to keep life from falling apart and still acting like the respectable man he was pretending to be. 

He's NEVER been into younger people before, and to be honest, men were not in his experiences either. He had thought about men, and written a prose or two, but he never had the guts. 

But Peter was so… fucking pretty. He was. There was something so sweet and yet so masculine about him. He was funny and talented, don't forget smart. They were so much alike in so many ways, and the way he kissed? It electrified him.

\---

Peter, on the other hand, couldn't sleep for other reasons. He spent the night smiling, cuddling into his pillow which wore the shirt of Stark's he stole. It was a perfect mix of the both of them and he adored it. 

He actually got to kiss the one man that EVERYONE in school had a crush on?! Not just kiss him, but hold him, moan with him, move with him. Fuck every single second, the memory of the moment they touched for the first time, or the moment they came. 

Peter could only imagine how things were going to be from now on, he knew Tony said that was the last kiss, but it wasn't. He knew it wasn't, and Peter knew it wasn't. He just had to pick his timing. 

\---

Tuesday was a day that Peter hated, because he wasn't actually in any of Mr. Stark's classes. So he trailed to school and sat at the back of each class with Ned, only half listening to what the teachers were saying. 

Peter was a pretty bright kid already, so it wasn't like it was hard to understand the topics and take them in. But his mind was elsewhere. He kept thinking about the older man, and whether the older man was thinking about him too. He hoped that wherever Tony… uh, Mr. Stark was, he was thinking about how they kissed. 

The day felt long, longer than most days went. It seemed like every minute stretched to an hour as he was waiting for lunch time, and sure, he wasn't exactly sure what was going to happen next. But the excitement and anticipation was keeping him going. 

Finally the bell rang, and Peter hurried to Mr. Stark's classroom, knocking on the door before walking in. He closed the door behind him and leaned against it, looking over at the older man, sitting alone at his desk with reading glasses on. 

"Knock knock." Peter smiled as he kept his back on the door. 

Mr. Stark looked up above his glasses, noticing Peter and not knowing how to reply. "Food's in the bag." He answered. 

Peter looked over to see the bag on the desk beside him, where Peter would normally sit. He smiled and began to slowly walk over to it, pulling out a seat and sitting in it. "Thank you, Sir." 

His teacher closed his eyes for a moment, trying to get the last night flashback to leave his head. Sir, you're hard. Peter was going to be the death of him. 

"You're welcome, Mr. Parker." Stark replied as he went back to his paperwork. "I was thinking you could take that out into the cafeteria today."

Peter stared blankly at him. "So that's how it's going to be." He said quietly to himself, but loud enough for his teacher to hear. 

"How else did you want to play it?" Mr. Stark asked nonchalantly, keeping his eyes on his work. "Did you think you were going to come in here and I'd push you up against the board?"

"Something like that." Peter commented as he opened the bag of food, pulling out a sandwich.

"Peter." He sighed as he leaned back in his chair. "I told you already. This is over." Tony looked over at him with a serious expression. 

It made Peter feel small, seeing the older man look at him like that. He hated it and it showed. "Okay." The younger man swallowed and nervously fidgeted with the bag. 

Mr. Stark didn't really want to push him away, but he knew he had to. For his own sake! He couldn't let himself be in these situations anymore. "Go and have lunch with Ned." 

The younger man deflated, looking sad as he looked around the room. "But…" he said in a small voice. "What about Flash?"

"If he does anything, just go to one of the staff. You can't avoid the rest of the school population forever, and I actually have work I have to do." He scolded the younger man, who reacted with a shameful sigh and expression.

"Fine." Peter grumbled as he stood up, taking the food that was for him and putting it in his bag. "I'm taking the juice." 

Mr. Stark nodded, staring intensely as the younger man collected his stuff and put the bag back where he had found it. Peter silently turned around and walked towards the door. 

Just as Peter was about to leave quietly, he spun around on his heel and looked at his teacher. "When am I actually allowed to see you?"

Stark didn't look up from his desk, pretending to read when in actuality he was trying to keep himself in his seat and not to walk over there. "Thursdays."

Peter huffed, "Thursdays, Fridays and Mondays." He negotiated, sounding heartbroken as he spoke. "Please."

"Mondays and Fridays?" The older man suggested.

"How about Thursdays, Fridays and Mondays and I don't turn up at your house." Peter begged him, trying to get the man to look up at him. He needed those eyes. He missed them so much.

"Sure." Mr. Stark waved it off like it was nothing, like he wasn't even paying attention. 

"Okay," Peter took a moment, his eyes filling up with tears. "Bye then, I guess."

"Mhm." Was the only reply from his teacher as Peter walked out of the classroom, ready to put himself in the line of fire of the bullies. 

\---

Peter found Ned sitting under a tree with a few people that they sometimes spoke to. When he noticed Peter, he smiled and stood up, walking away from them and greeting him. 

"Hey! Finally!" Ned grinned, "They were boring the hell outta me. How come you're not studying?"

Peter half smiled, "It's a really long story." He looked around for a seat. "Let's have some lunch."

So the both of them sat down and began their lunch, talking about classes and movies like they usually did. Ned was really glad to have Peter back and for the most part, Peter was happy too. The voice in Peter's head wouldn't shut up about how much he missed the older man. He kept wondering if the man was missing him too. 

"Why won't you tell me?" Ned nudged him, "It's not like I have anyone to tell."

Peter shrugged, "I just… I can't. You'd understand why if you knew, but like, I have to keep this to myself."

His best friend thought for a moment, scrunching up his face as he looked over Peter and tried to put the pieces together. It took him the time for Peter to eat half a chocolate bar to come to a realisation of sorts. His face lit up.

"Ooooh! Do you," he leaned in to whisper, "do you have a crush on Mr. Stark?"

"What?" Peter asked in embarrassed horror, his face going red as he tried to pretend like it was nothing. "No!"

Ned raised both his brows. "You do! You have a crush on him! That's why you've made him your tutor! You know he's married right?" 

Peter nodded, "Of course I know that… I just, I like him okay? He's teaching me what he knows and it'll maybe help me become a writer. But that's it, okay?! There's nothing weird going on."

Ned laughed, "Sure there isn't." He shook his head as he went back to his food. "Just be careful, I don't want you to get kicked out of school because you tried to fuck the principle."

"Dude!" Peter gasped, hitting his arm. "Shut up, someone will hear you!" 

His best friend put his hands up in defeat, "Okay, okay!" He smiled, "I'll drop it. I'm just glad to have you back."

As they finished up their lunch, a small group of guys walked their way. Ned noticed them first, whispering to Peter to warn him.

"Don't look now," Ned told him, "But Flash and his neanderthals are on their way."

"Fuuuck," Peter sighed, holding on tightly to his bag. "I managed to stay away from them long enough I guessed."

"Sup Penis Parker!" Flash's voice called out as they approached the two. "Not seen you around in a while, I was hoping you decided to follow in your parents footsteps!" 

Some of the boys that were with him sniggered from behind him. Peter didn't look up at him, he just wanted to keep his cool and get this over and done with. "Not yet, Flash." He replied in a plain tone.

"Well that's unfortunate," Flash laughed as he picked up the bottle of juice from in front of Peter. "You don't look like you've had a shower today, let me help you." 

He unscrewed the cap and poured it over Peter's head, making him jump up. Flash managed to get most of the liquid over him, soaking his air and his shirt. Ned gasped and took Peter's bag from him to keep safe.

"For fuck sake, Flash!" Peter exclaimed as he tried to shake it off. "Why the hell did you do that?"

"Because you're a freak, freak." Flash commented with a laugh. 

"Flash Thompson. Get in my office NOW." A booming voice came from a few meters away. They all turned to see the principal standing there with the meanest glare in his eyes. 

"Uhh, yes sir." Flash said in a panicked tone, scuttling off to the office. 

Peter stood there, drenched in purple juice, dripping wet, tears in his eyes as he looked up to Mr. Stark. But there was no sympathy in Tony's eyes, he just looked right through him. And that hurt. He expected to at least see SOMETHING in his face that showed he cared. 

The older man walked over to Ned and Peter as Flash's buddies disappeared from the scene. "Go to the bathroom and get cleaned up." He instructed him. 

Peter nodded, bowing his head and looking down at his feet. He was about to speak when the older man turned and walked angrily towards his office. 

When he was gone, he was gone. 

\---

The next day, Peter had Mr. Stark's class last period. When he turned up at the classroom for his lunch, the older man had left it on the desk with a note. All it said was his name, but the older man was nowhere in sight. Of course, Peter was disheartened by this, but the food was a sign that Tony still cares. 

Yesterday was awful. He managed to get dried for the last two classes and when he went home, he cried. He couldn't believe that the older man could just look at him like that and walk away. 

Peter knew this wasn't right and it wasn't legal, but he was finding himself falling in love with the older man. And it hurt! It made his soul miserable to know that not that long ago, they were messing around on the couch. And now… they hardly even spoke.

If this is what it was like to be an adult, then Peter didn't want that at all.

Back to today, and Peter was on edge for seeing Flash again during lunch. However, they hadn't seen him all day. There was something weird about that, because they were supposed to be in some of the same classes today, and yet he was absent from them all. Peter just thanked god he didn't have to deal with the immature ridiculing he was used to from the other boy. 

Peter was tired from not having slept very well. He cried for a while, okay, maybe longer than that. And no matter how hard he tried to calm down, it just made him feel dead inside. 

So when it came to last period, he was so close to falling asleep, but he didn't want to look bad in front of Mr. Stark. When they walked in, Mr. Stark wasn't there, but they all took their seats anyway and waited. 

3 minutes after everyone was settled, the door opened. "Hello, hello, everyone!" Mr. Stark's happy voice rang out as he waltzed in. "I'm so sorry I'm late, running a school has its days." He smiled as he walked over to his desk.

Peter closed his eyes and just listened to the older man's voice. Finding it comforting and keeping himself calmer. 

The class started and Mr. Stark did the register, waiting for their answers. When it got to Peter, he was way too tired to put any energy into it.

"Here," he said quietly as he slumped and looked out the window. 

Mr. Stark looked up at him, furrowed brows as he tried to read him in two seconds. Peter didn't notice. The older man went straight back to calling out names before starting the class. But he kept an eye on Peter throughout, knowing that things were not okay for him. 

In fact, for the entire class, Mr. Stark kept an eye on Peter and his performance, noticing how many times he yawned and looked disinterested. This would have been fine under the circumstances, if it weren't for this class being English. I.e Peter's favourite class.

When class finished, the bell rung and everyone gathered up their belongings to leave. 

"Mr. Parker. Stay behind." Stark instructed as he wiped off the board. Peter sighed and looked to Ned. 

"Wait for me out front. Won't be long."

Ned nodded and headed out, leaving Peter and Mr. Stark alone again. 

Peter didn't know what to do. He leaned against his desk as he stared at his feet, crossing his arms as he yawned. Tony walked over to him, not too close, but within a metre or two.

"Are you okay?" He asked in a soft voice, making Peter's knees go weak. The younger man tried not to faint at the fact that the older man cared.

"I guess." He replied, yawning straight after. 

Mr. Stark shook his head and walked over to the desk opposite Peter, pushing it back slightly and sitting on the edge. "You're not okay."

"What's it to you?" Peter asked, biting his lip. "I told you this would happen if you made me go out there."

The older man stared out the window as he licked his lips. "Anymore trouble today?"

Peter shook his head but stayed silent. 

"Do you know why?" Stark asked him, raising an eyebrow and looking at him. 

The younger man furrowed his eyebrows and shook his head, daring to look up at the man and catch his eyeline. Oh those beautiful eyes.

"He's suspended for two days." Stark told him. "Did you think I wasn't going to stand up for you?"

Peter's eyes filled up with emotions as his mouth gaped open, "You… you do care?" He could feel his heart beating fast as he peered up to his hero. 

The older man clenched his jaw, "Are you okay? You look tired." He had to change the subject or he would have to admit that of couse he fucking cared! He cared so much it was unreal. But he didn't need Peter trying to push his luck. 

"I didn't sleep." Peter confessed. "Kinda hard to with everything going on." 

Mr. Stark agreed and looked back ahead of him out of the window, watching as the birds flew around. "You have to sleep. Is there something I can do?"

"You could kiss me." Peter let slip without thinking. He was surprised he said it, but he stood by it.

"I meant," Tony replied, focusing on the word 'meant', "Something to help lighten the load. Extensions, free passes, etcetera."

"I hate this." Peter scoffed, standing up and putting his bag on his back. "Two days ago I was in heaven." He spoke a little louder, finding his feet. "I believed you wanted me. ME. But I'm just a student to you now, and then, I don't know you probably had too much wine. I wasn't important no matter how much I tried to tell myself that."

"Is that what you really believe?" Mr. Stark said seriously, but much quieter than Peter. "You don't think I wanted that? I could have kicked you out into the streets."

"Yeah?" Peter asked him confidently. "Then why didn't you? Why did you let me sit on your couch, in your clothes while you got off on me?"

"Be quiet!" Tony said louder and sterner, turning to look at the door, making sure it was shut properly. "Do you want people to hear us?" He stood up and marched over to the door angrily, looking outside to see no one. He closed it again before walking back into their area of the room. 

"I didn't kick you out because I didn't want to." Tony towered over him and spoke with gritted teeth. "I don't regret that. Is that what you want to hear?"

Peter shrugged and clenched his drawer, trying not to cry. No matter who you are, angry older men are terrifying. He shivered as he breathed out. 

"But if this is what's going to happen, then this friendship is over." Stark spoke. 

"What? That… that's not fair… I… I like you so much… and… and what about food? And ACDC?" Peter started to panic as he felt his chest tighten up. 

"I'll pay off your credit with the school cafeteria. You'll get free lunch everyday." He said through glazed eyes, not even looking at his student. 

"So that's it?! You're just going to toss me aside? I thought… I thought I was your boy?!" Peter's voice broke as a tear exited his eye. "I'm… I'm still your boy?"

Mr. Stark closed his eyes and shook his head, taking a very deep breath in as he pursed his lips. "No, Peter. You're not."

Peter began to sob, tears streaming out of his eyes as he tried to wipe them away. "But I love you," he shivered, trying to hold himself up. "You won't… won't even look at me."

Stark stayed where he was, he didn't want to reply, he didn't want to make this work. 

"I'm not going to tell anyone." Peter said as tears continued to flow from his eyes, "I don't want you to hate me,"

The older man let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you, and I don't hate you." He licked his lips and kept his eyes where they were. 

"But you won't look at me." Peter sniffled. "Bye, Mr. Stark." He croaked as he walked as fast as he could towards the door.

And then he was gone.


	7. I Miss You

Alone with his thoughts for at least a few more days, Anthony Edward Stark dried to push away all the thoughts that were building up inside him. He sat on the sofa, flicking through the channels as he tried to shut out his conscience. 

The first thing he had to figure out, was why now? Why did he choose NOW to actually make a move on the thoughts of men in the back of his head? It's been in his thoughts for years, kissing a man, being with a man. 

Of course he didn't tell anyone, and he pushed it deep inside himself. There was no chance he was ever bringing that up, because he was engaged, and finally finding a way to be happy.

So they married, and lived in their small town, but it felt like they had stalled. Pepper was always working and Tony felt left behind, so they moved to the city and he, at Pepper's request, stopped "sitting about with his books" and got a "real" job. 

Of course it was only natural, people were always falling for him. At least three of the female staff members had hit on him in the first week, and he felt like half the students were into him too. The girls would giggle in groups and try to find ways to talk to him. 

It felt weird to say the least! 

But when Peter sat down and took his attention, Tony saw himself in him. A younger man, lost, with no hope in the world except the things that kept him going, like literature and poetry. 

The younger man had such a sweet presence, he was enlightening and to be honest, a breath of fresh air. Tony felt comfortable with him, so they had their little friendship. And the older man was SURE it was nothing but a mentorship.

But when Peter held his hand? Something happened. It was weird… it was like a warm feeling that took over his body and his heart. He hated it, but he was interested. 

That night, before Peter turned up at the house, Tony was trying to focus on marking school work, but all that was in his mind was Peter. Why was Peter's sweet little face in his mind? Was it because he was small and in need of saving? Or was it those cheekbones? Or maybe the way he laughed? 

Whatever it was, Tony was angry with himself. As if by some stroke of luck, Peter turned up and he let things go way too far. He could blame it on the drink but he knew that would be wrong. 

Every time Peter cried made Tony want to hold him and kiss him. The urge was strong. No, he didn't love him. He loved his wife… not enough to turn Peter away though. 

Seeing Peter get tormented by that Flash kid, he nearly blew up. He had to remain professional, but now he was emotionally involved and he had to do something.

And now, having broken the friendship off completely with Peter, he felt hollow. Slouched on the couch, his heart felt like it was sinking. He imagined Peter sitting on the other side of the couch, stretched out and staring up at him. 

He did miss him.

The truth was, Tony hadn't felt this alive in the longest time. But when he kissed Peter, oh fuck, that turned on the spark inside him that made him want more. He closed his eyes and thought about Peter's flushed face, moaning for him. 

Whatever Peter decided to do, he knew that he would never be safe. What he did know, was that Peter wasn't the kind of person to blackmail him for a relationship, he was too sweet. But he also knew that if he did, Tony would be too weak to fight back. 

\---

The next day when Mr. Stark got to school early to answer emails and phone calls before classes started, he realised that Peter was to be in two of his classes today. He hoped that things would go well, because he really couldn't keep this up.

However, when it got to those classes, there was no Peter to be seen. Ned had no idea where he was either, which worried Mr. Stark a little. During lunchtime, Tony asked reception to see if Peter had been in at all, but apparently no one had seen him. 

The worst anxieties came into Tony's head. Maybe he's hurt? Maybe he's at the police station right now to tell them all about what Tony did? Maybe Peter transferred schools? Maybe Flash attacked him? But he had to keep his head on straight and just follow on with his job. 

\---

Friday came around and he would never admit it, but Tony wasn't okay until he saw Peter. He walked around the cafeteria during break, pretending to be watching for bullying or something. He was about to give up on his journey when he spotted Peter in the crowd, holding onto his books tightly as he tried to get out of people's way. 

Peter didn't notice him, but Mr. Stark eyed him for a moment before returning to his work, clear headed. 

But here's the thing. For the next week, there was NO conversation between them. When Peter was in his class, he barely even spoke to tell him he was there. The younger man wouldn't raise his hands to answer questions, even ones that Peter knew the answer to!

He kept his head down. Peter was the last one in class and the first one to leave. Peter was hardly even turning in his homework, handing it in late, if at all.

And yes, Mr. Stark was the one who broke it off, and Peter was doing EXACTLY what he asked of him, but Tony hated it.

Tony felt a sting in his heart when Peter walked away, not even acknowledging him. It was like he was the one being rejected, even though he was married. Pepper was home, but working all day every day as usual, they really only saw people at dinner. 

He had to admit to himself, he really liked having Peter looking up to him, doting on him. He kind of wanted to be the person that Peter turned to, that he wanted to seek approval. Tony was angry at himself, because he found himself drawn to Peter.

The younger man WAS cute. Really cute. Probably the cutest person Tony's ever been allowed to kiss. He tasted so sweet and he touched him so softly. It was like there was a magnetic force pulling him in.

As he lay next to his sleeping wife, he would think about what Peter was doing at that time. It was the right thing to do to stay away, but his heart and body were different from his brain. Tony was hurt that Peter had moved on from him so fast, but he had no right to be. He was sure that Peter would never talk to him again, well, that was until Thursday.

Thursday after school and Tony was driving home, heading down the roads as it started to rain. He tried to focus on the music playing on the stereo as he made his way home. That was until something caught his eyes.

A group of teenagers were all gathered around in a group on the sidewalk, cheering and shouting as two were in the middle. Tony slowed down to zero in on what was going on, noticing that something was wrong. 

He pulled over and brought the window down, waiting a moment to see what was happening. Then he realised, the boys in the middle were Flash and Peter, and Flash was attempting to beat him up. The bully had his boy in a headlock, and there was blood on Peter's face. Stark emerged from the car within a second, 

"HEY!" he shouted as he stormed over there. Flash's friends looked up in shock and dispersed, running in different ways. Tony would get to them later.

"GET THE HELL OFF OF HIM!" Mr. Stark shouted at Flash, scaring the shit out of him. Flash dropped Peter and stepped back, panicking as he tried to look for an escape.

Peter dropped to the ground, breathing heavily as he stared up at his teacher, looking at him for the first time in forever. He felt lost and hurt, but he looked up to see the most beautiful man standing up for him. 

"I'm sorry!" Flash shouted in a panic.

"You WILL be when I call your parents in tomorrow!" Stark shouted at him. "Now apologise to Peter and get outta here."

Flash cursed under his breath before uttering a fast and shitty apology to Peter before running home.

Tony turned to see Peter, sitting on the floor in the rain, blood on his cheek and a quiver on his lips. "Pete," he sighed as he held out his hand for the younger man to help himself up.

Peter's eyes fell on his outstretched hand and half smiled, reaching out and holding it. The moment they touched, they both felt okay again. 

Stark helped Peter up, "Come on, I'll drive you home." He told him, "I'm not letting you walk home like this."

The younger man didn't reply, he just nodded and walked over to the older man's car. Tony opened it for him to get in and then got in himself. The drive was silent for a few minutes, before the older man decided he needed to talk to the younger man.

He turned left.

"This isn't the way to mine." Peter finally spoke softly. "You're not kidnapping me are you?"

"No, just pulling in." Mr. Stark commented as they drove down the street to a little car park behind a building. The younger man began to fidget with his fingers as Tony stopped the car.

"What's going on?" Peter asked, staring out the window.

"I think we should talk," Tony answered, reaching in the back for a blanket. "Here," he handed it to Peter. "Dry yourself up."

Peter took the blanket and did as he was told. "What do you want to talk about? I left you alone just like you wanted."

Stark sighed, leaning back in his chair as he unbuckled his belt. He had to think about it in his head, he had no idea what exactly to say. But he had to say something. 

"Yeah. That's what I thought I wanted." He admitted, staring at the steering wheel. He could see from the corner of his eyes that Peter turned around to gape at him.

"Mr. Stark?" He asked quietly. 

The older man turned his head to look at him, clenching his jaw. His eyes looked lost as he betrayed himself and everything he ever believed in. "I, uh, I guess I miss you."

Peter's face lit up, a massive grin crawling over his face as his eyes widened. "You mean it?"

Tony clenched his jaw again and nodded. "Yeah." God, he hated himself right now.

"I miss you too!" Peter exclaimed, suddenly ten times happier, even with blood drying against his cheek. "Like so much!"

"I thought you were over me." Stark said to him with a straight and sad face. "You've been… ignoring me."

"And I thought I was insecure." Peter commented, undoing his seatbelt and turning to face him. "I was just doing what you asked me to do, I didn't want to upset you." He spoke honestly.

"Okay." The older man nodded and looked perplexed. "Okay so, uhm. How have you been?"

"Not good." Peter pointed at the marks on his face, "As you can see. I'm not exactly Mr. Popular." He sighed heavily.

"You haven't handed in any homework," Mr. Stark brought up, not knowing exactly where to go with this conversation. 

"Doesn't mean I didn't do it. It's all right there in my bag. I just…" Peter sighed, "I didn't want to have to look at you."

Okay that was a blow and a half. Tony took a second before he replied. "That makes sense. I'm sorry I hurt you."

Peter shrugged, "It's okay I guess, I mean, this is all my fault anyway," he slumped down in the seat. "I'm just a mess and I… I guess I brought you into it. I'm the sorry one."

The older man was taken back by how adult the younger man was being with this situation. He wanted to reach out and touch him, but he couldn't. 

"You're not a mess." Tony spoke. "You must hate me. Do you hate me?"

"You first." 

The older man sighed heavily, "Kid, you've put me in such a fucking hard position." He sighed, lying his head on the headrest. "I miss you, okay? So if you could continue to eat lunch with me, I'd appreciate that."

"Okay, deal!" Peter grinned, "I can't wait! Does this mean… that you like me? Are we gonna sneak around?"

Tony closed his eyes. "Yes and no." He said with a sigh. "Of course I like you," he opened his eyes and looked at Peter. He raised his hand to gently stroke Peter's jaw. "Look at you, you're perfect, how could I not like you?" 

The younger man blushed, melting into the touch as he stared up into the older man's eyes. "I am?"

"You are. But if I kiss you? I could go to jail, I'll be divorced, I'll be homeless… it would ruin my life." 

Peter half smiled, but he seemed rather disappointed. "I don't want that to happen to you." He placed his hand over Tony's large hand, "I like you too much to lose you."

For the first time in a week, Mr. Stark smiled, he shook his head and crunched up his face. "Why do you have to be so cute?" He asked, "Do you know what you're doing to me?" 

"Hopefully making you want to kiss me again?" Peter blushed.

"Watch it," Tony said with a smirk. "You're lucky you're you." He sat up a little and stared over at him. The older man rubbed his thumb along Peter's soft and warm cheek before dropping his hand. 

"Friends." Peter nodded, with a smirk. "So we'll have lunch and talk about the things we love?"

The older man nodded. "That's what I'm hoping for. Under no circumstances can we flirt, kiss, touch… anything. Do you understand?" 

Peter agreed, "Yeah, I guess. I mean, just knowing you like me back helps. But this is all strictly, uh, professional." 

"Yes! Thank you," Stark commented, "That sounds good. It means I can keep my job. I was thinking… I know this might cross a line, but if we keep it secret, and appropriate, maybe, you could give me your number?"

Peter raised his eyebrows, "What? In case of trouble?"

"Like bullying or if you need a ride home, or food, or, something." He shrugged, "I don't want you to find yourself up against Flash, and not have someone to help you out of it."

Peter looked up at him in awe, "You want to look after me?"

Tony stayed silent, not answering but holding out his phone for Peter to take. 

"Okay sure, let's switch numbers." He pulled out his phone and handed it to Tony, taking his in return.

Tony saved Peter under a different name, just in case it was found out. They swapped numbers and gave the phones back.

The older man picked out a tissue from the glove box and wiped away the dried blood from Peter's cheek softly. "There you go, Mr. Parker, blood's all cleaned up."

Peter blushed, "Thank you, sir." He replied. "I take it Mrs. Stark is home this week?"

Tony nodded, "Yeah." He said quietly. In truth, he did feel guilty. Remembering that he had made vows turned his stomach in the worst ways, knowing that he had thrown them out the window. "But when I look at you, it's worth it."

Peter looked at him, happy yet confused. "I think you missed the first half of the sentence." 

"Pepper always goes away," Tony sighed. "She kind of just comes and goes,"

The younger man tilted his head. "How often?"

"A few times a month I guess. Fuck, I don't know why I'm telling you all of this. I need to drive you home," he turned to the steering wheel and strapped himself in. "Let's get you back to your place."

Peter strapped himself in too, staring at the older man as they began to drive back out of the car park and down the streets. They sat in silence as they made their way to Peter's, humming along to the radio.

When they got there, Peter smiled up at him. "Thank you, Mr. Stark. I'll see you tomorrow?"

"See you tomorrow kid, lunch is on me."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Please keep the comments going, the starker fandom is the only place I get any validation so hit me up 💖
> 
> Unfortunately that awesome relationship I had ended, so I'm gonna be writing a lot more to take my mind of things, hopefully will get thr next chapter out VERY soon! 
> 
> I love you 3000!
> 
> Btw starker priv twitter is sulphuriccherry find me there! Just posted a face reveal 💖


	8. School Sucks

Friday was a good day. Peter had a spring in his step and was actually happy about going to school again. It was ridiculously out of this world that his principal actually missed him! That's insane! The hottest most amazing man in the world liked him in some way and didn't want them to not talk. 

Sure, he wasn't getting to be with the older man in the way he wanted. But at least they could still see each other, still talk to each other. That made it worth it.

And of course, the last week had been so hard on Peter. At first, he felt too tired from crying to come into school, and then he spent the week with his head down. Nothing could be worse than making the principle angry at you, especially after you've snogged him. 

Walking home and getting beaten up was normal, but for the man of his dreams to turn up like a knight in shining armour, saving him and admitting that he liked him. Wow. The emotions in his heart were too strong. 

When he got to school, he thought about nothing else except lunch time. Every second was a countdown, and the moment the bell rang, Peter almost ran there. 

When he arrived at Mr. Stark's classroom, there was a note on the door that read, 

'In Office.'

So he turned around and made his way to the principal's office, knocking on the door with a little spring in his step. It took a few moments before the door opened and Mr. Stark stepped out. 

"Hello, Mr. Parker. If you could take a seat for me I'll call you in a minute, I am just finishing up with something." He gestured over to the seats across from the door and gave him half a smile. 

"Sure thing," Peter did as he was told and took a seat, swinging his legs back and forth. He was kind of excited to sit in the principal's office this time, they'd be much further away from people. 

Not three minutes later, the doors opened and out walked a couple with Mr. Stark. 

"We are so sorry again," the woman said. "This is not how we raised Flash, this is the final straw."

"Give him one more chance, Mrs. Thompson, and if he can't behave we are going to have to transfer him." The principle told them, shaking their hands. "There's hope yet, thank you for coming in today."

"Thank you. Mr. Stark." Mr. Thompson said to him before the couple walked away. 

Mr. Stark turned to Peter, "Lunch?" 

\---

Lunch was fantastic. They sat and talked, sharing a few jokes as they ate like they used to before Peter made a move. Peter sat at the other side of the desk as they got stuck into the food. 

The older man was thoroughly enjoying having the younger man here again. It made the days go faster and easier to get through. Peter handed in all the homework he had missed, and they managed to get through the day without crossing any lines. 

"I can't believe you actually called Flash's parents!" Peter exclaimed.

"I said I would."

"Yeah but, it wasn't on School property, so it's not really -"

Mr. Stark put his hand up. "I said I would, I'm not letting that happen to you again, it's not on. I don't know why I'm the first faculty member to deal with this but it stops with me." He gestured with his hand as he continued to eat.

Peter blushed and smiled widely. "Thank you. I appreciate that."

The older man sat back and smiled, thinking about how this whole thing could have been a huge disaster. He could have been in deep trouble, but now they are keeping things as they should have been in the beginning. 

Peter was staying away, as per his request, from flirting and touching, which was extremely hard considering he had touched him once. 

"So how's the wife?" Peter asked, "Everything good at home?"

Tony held up his finger, "We don't talk about that remember? It makes you jealous." He reminded him. 

The younger man slouched and sighed, "I know, I was just asking." He looked over at the older man, "How did you meet?"

Mr. Stark reached for his drink, "Well, we met at a seminar on publishing, she was trying to get information for her friend or something." He sighed, "We sat together and talked about our favourite books."

Peter nodded, chewing on his bottom lip. "That's cute,"

"Yeah." Stark agreed, leaning over to pick up the last of his sandwich. "Anyway, we hit it off and ended up going to see a few films made from our favourite books, and uh, the rest is history."

"Do you love her?" Peter questioned him. 

Tony clenched his jaw and nodded, not looking at Peter. "I do love her." He breathed out as he spoke. "But love comes in different ways."

The younger man slowly put down what he was eating and rested his elbow on the desk, listening to him. "How do you mean?"

"Well," Stark cleared his throat. "There's loving someone, and then there's being IN love with someone." He explained with a hand gesture. "The two aren't the same."

Peter furrowed his eyebrows, "What's the difference?"

The older man licked his lips and took a deep breath, not really understanding the two until now. He was up all night last night thinking about this, how the word had so many meanings. And it was in this moment the English author realised there was one word in the entire language he never really understood. 

"Love is a bond." He spoke softly and slowly. "It means you care about them and you wish them no harm, you smile when you think of them. But being IN love? That's something special."

The younger man closed his eyes and listened to what the older man had to say. 

"When you're in love, you only think about them. You think about what they're doing… what they're thinking. When you're with them it's like… I don't know, everything gets better, you forget why you were sad." He lay his hand down and started to smooth his fingers along the wood on the desk. His eyes were glazed over as he stared into space.

"When you kiss them, time stands still. You can't ever get enough…" he blinked himself out of his trance and sniffed, "So yeah. That's the difference."

Peter cleared his throat, realising his mouth was dry as he spent the last few minutes daydreaming. If that was what being in love was, then call Peter in love. He stayed silent for a little while, trying to get the thought out of his head. He was sitting close to the man he couldn't have. 

"So, uh, which is it?" Peter asked dryly, "Do you love her, or are you in love with her?" 

Mr. Stark breathed in deeply, exhaling slowly as he dared not look at Peter. He knew the answer, but he didn't want to admit it. If he said it out loud, then it became real, and if it was real, there was a problem. 

"Lunch is almost over, I'll see you in class." He spoke to Peter, signaling for him to leave. 

"Oh, okay." The younger man nodded, "I guess, I'll see you in class then." He picked up his bag and put it on his back. 

Tony didn't answer, so before Peter left, he turned around to look at him. "You're gonna be okay, you know." He smiled sweetly. 

The older man looked up at him with lost eyes and a sad smile, "See you in class."

Peter nodded before heading out the door.

\---

Before class, Peter was standing with Ned at his locker. They discussed their classes as Ned was talking out the books he needed.

"I don't really see the point in an hour studying a night for each subject, it's like they're trying to kill us." Ned complained as he tried to organise his things.

"Me neither," Peter sighed with his back against the locker beside him. "Sometimes I think they've forgotten how hard it is to be a teenager."

"You're telling me," Ned commented. "Mr. Stark is the only teacher that doesn't overload us."

Peter smiled, thinking about the older man. "You're right, he's a good teacher."

As Ned was about to make a joke about Peter and his highly inappropriate crush on the leading male staff member at the school, a group of girls walked past them, sniggering and laughing.

"I am SO gonna try and get Mr. Stark into me," the blonde girl laughed, her voice loud as she walked in her little heels and small skirt. "He's so baggable,"

Peter grimaced, clenching his jaw. He knew that girl, her name was Stephanie, Steph for short. They were in English class together and she always laughed too loud. Her parents were rich and she was always flaunting it around. She was known for getting whoever she wanted, and the jealousy inside of Peter was bubbling up. No way could she get Tony.  
HIS Tony.

"I even got his favourite book and read it, I'm gonna be so in there!" She giggled, the rest of the girls laughed along with her as they walked closer.

Ned noticed that Peter's face was red with anger as he glared at the girls. "Don't say anything," he whispered, "You don't want to start a fight."

Peter shrugged, "Maybe she should know that Mr. Stark would never be interested in someone like her." 

His best friend sighed, raising his eyebrows he shook his head. "Not worth it."

"Hey Steph!" Peter blurted without thinking about it. The girls turned around and stared at him as Ned closed his eyes and prayed that this would all be okay. "Stop talking about Mr. Stark as if he's just a piece of ass! He wouldn't go for you anyway, he's married."

"Here we go," Ned whispered to himself, hiding his face in his locker.

"Excuse me?" Steph swished her hair and turned to face him. She had a look on her face as if she was looking down on Peter. "Married or not, people want me. You wouldn't know what that's like."

Peter pushed himself off of the locker, taking a few steps towards her. "Mr. Stark is a man of fine things, you can't talk about him as if he is just a sex toy."

She scoffed, "What's it to you?"

"I'm just saying!" Peter commented, "You could get him fired and put in prison." He used the older man's earlier remarks to defend his honour. 

Peter was NEVER going to tell anyone about what happened between him and Tony, never in a million. So to keep up his image, he had to be completely against student / teacher romantic or sexual interaction. But he also HATED the thought of anyone else going NEAR his man. 

"So?" Steph laughed, "I wouldn't care as long as I got mine." 

Peter was seething with rage, "You don't care about anyone else but yourself!" He almost shouted at her, "You're disgusting!" 

Steph looked at him as if Peter was being a petulant child, looking down at him with an unphased expression. "You're such a freak," she told him. "Calm down and go back to your Star Trek friends."

"If you actually cared about people, you wouldn't have to pay for your friends to pretend to like you." Peter snapped, getting a little angrier. 

"Shut up, parentless Peter!" She sniped, "Nobody cares what you have to say!"

Peter's face dropped as he felt those words like a knife to his stomach. Ned slammed shut the locker and spun around to berate her, but as he opened his mouth the bell rang and all the girls laughed and walked off to class. 

He turned to Peter, "Dude… you okay?"

Peter was silent, his face red from emotion, both angry and sad. He shrugged as he felt if he spoke he might cry. Ned patted his shoulder, "Come on, Mr. Stark will be waiting for us."

\---

It really was Peter's worst nightmare. 

Steph was sitting at the front, flirting away with the man in question all the way through class. She would raise her hand and ask if he was wearing a new suit, answer every question before anyone else, and laughed at every one of his jokes. 

The moment she brought up the book, Peter was ready to fly over there. He sat with his fists clenched, his knuckles almost white as he glared at her.

"You like that one too?" Mr. Stark smiled, "That's my favourite."

Steph giggled, "Mine too! We're so much alike!" She was obviously flirting, everyone knew it. Mr. Stark knew it. 

As she continued her attempt and making the older man notice her, the older man's eyes made their way to Peter, noticing how he was reacting. The teacher wasn't flirting back, but that wasn't obvious to Peter. All Peter saw was this girl making him laugh and smile, and that was NOT ON. 

When class ended, and the girls finally pulled Steph away from Mr. Stark, Peter stayed behind. 

"What the fuck was that?" Peter scoffed as he closed over the door and locked it. 

The older man looked at him plainly. "What was what?"

Peter glared at him, his heart beating fast as he felt his face going red. "You," he sounded like he was about to cry. "Flirting with Stephanie all class."

Tony let out a deep chuckle, sitting on the edge of his desk, shaking his head. "I was NOT flirting with her."

The younger man folded his arms over his chest, a lump in his throat. "Looked like it." He sulked, staring at the floor.

"She was flirting with me, and I'm not interested. She's a child, remember?" Mr. Stark explained. 

"We're the same age." Peter commented as tears welled up in his eyes. 

The older man tilted his head, he felt sorry for Peter. The kid really did like him, and although they were apparently their relationship was more undefined than he thought. He pushed himself up from his desk to stand, "Come here, Peter."

Peter looked up at him with glistening eyes, noticing that Tony had his arms open for him. They walked towards each other and met in the middle. The younger man fell into his arms, closing his eyes as he pressed his face against his chest. 

Mr. Stark's arms wrapped around him, "You're okay," he whispered as he let his eyes close and bowed his head so his face was in Peter's hair.

"Do you like her better than me?" Peter cried.

Mr. Stark stroked his back, "You know I don't," he held him closer, making sure he knew he wasn't alone.

Peter's voice waved as he started voicing the anxieties in his head. "I'm not a girl, and I'm not pretty, of course you like her better than me." 

The older man shook his head, placing one finger under Peter's chin. He raised Peter's sweet and saddened face up to look at him. Tony's lips curved into a smile as their eyes met, which made Peter feel warm inside.

"Why would I like her better?" Tony asked in a whisper, "You're so much prettier," he stroked the tears from Peter's perfect face. "You're my favourite person."

The younger man's face lit up, "I am?" 

Mr. Stark nodded, "You most certainly are, Pete." He stared into his eyes like he was looking at something he loved. "I am going to transfer her from my class, okay? None of us need her."

Peter grinned, biting his lip. "You would do that? For me?"

"It's for me too, but yes, just because we can't be together, doesn't mean you have to witness that." Tony assured him, "But we really have to stop being close like this."

"One more minute, please." Peter snuggled back into him, covering himself with Tony's scent. "I… I had a run in with her earlier," Peter said quietly against him, eyes closed.

"What happened?"

Peter hugged into him tighter. "She made fun of me for not having parents," he sniffled, "And said she was gonna… have sex with you… and didn't care if you went to jail."

The older man let out a long sigh, "I'm going to have to get new teachers in. Kids aren't learning anything about life here," he let himself get lost in Peter's embrace. "Do you want me to call in her parents?"

"I… I don't know." Peter replied in a whisper, he couldn't believe that this man was willing to put everything on the line, or do things for him. "No one's ever done anything like this for me before, no one's ever cared."

Mr. Stark's heart felt the pain of those last four words. How could everyone not care about the sweet young man? Sure, he was quiet. But he was sweet and caring, his heart and his brain were huge, his smile bright and his eyes were a wonder. 

"I care." Tony whispered it like a promise, the words leaving his lips as if they were the only words that mattered. "I care so much."

Peter licked his lips and pulled away, his hand stroking Tony's chest as he took a few moments to get his words in order. "Why can't we give us a shot?"

The older man pulled away, his thumb swiped over the younger man's cheek before completely remove himself. "Peter, please. We've gone over this."

"I know," Peter answered him, "I just like you a lot." 

Tony looked up at him, clenching his jaw. "I like you too, Peter. Get home safe, okay?"

The younger man smiled, "You too, Tony."


	9. Chapter 9

The thing about Peter, is that when everything broke around him, he always had Aunt May. May was his pillar of strength, his mother, his sister, his everything. If anyone so much as talked to her the wrong way, Peter was there to set them straight. 

Usually when he had one of those nights where he missed his parents more than anything, they would curl up on the couch together and cry together. The apartment was filled with photos of them, and of course Uncle Ben, who they missed just as much.

The family had been torn to just two of them. Of course since money had been tight, May had been working much more, because she wanted Peter to have all the things other kids had. He may not have parents, but he would get everything else a kid his age has. 

So tonight, as Peter sat on the sofa, staring at a framed picture of when he was three with his entire family surrounding him, May wasn't there to make it all better. 

He could feel his heart falling away, like leaves from the trees. Each part of him felt lost and alone, and he needed someone there. 

All Peter ever really wanted was love, to be held without an ounce of selfishness to it. He wanted to feel like he mattered to someone without having to beg for it, for someone to care. 

He didn't know how long the tears had been streaming down his reddened cheeks, but he knew his eyes stung. How could tears still fall when he felt like he had dehydrated himself? His throat hurt, his lungs hurt. All he wanted was a hug.

He didn't realise what he was doing when he reached for the phone, in fact, he didn't even register the movements until the phone was at his ear. Peter didn't have time to put the phone down, as the recipient answered. 

"Hello?" Mr. Stark's gorgeous and calming voice came through the phone. He sounded confused, because they hadn't even texted before yet. 

"Uh, Mr. Stark?" Peter asked, his voice was broken and it was obvious he had been crying. 

"Hold on a second," Tony replied as he moved around at the other side of the phone. Peter could hear the sounds of the older man walking and the front door being closed over.

"I'm back, are you okay Peter?" He asked in a worried tone. 

Peter shook his head, closing his eyes and tried not to burst into sobs. "No, I'm sorry… I… I didn't know who else to call…"

"Shhh," Tony calmed him, "It's okay, you did the right thing. Are you hurt? Are you in danger?" 

"No," Peter sniffed, "I… I miss my parents, Tony. It hurts so much, I don't know how to cope!" He cried as his body shook with sobs, he closed his eyes as more tears fell from them.

"Oh, honey," The older man spoke softly, "I'm so sorry, is there anyone around? Is your aunt home?"

"She's working all night," Peter's voice wavered, "I won't see her until tomorrow," 

Tony sighed, "Okay," he took a deep breath in. "Give me, uh, I don't know, ten minutes? I have a guest over but I'll cut it short. I'll call you when I'm outside,"

Peter wasn't sure he heard that right, but he hoped he had. He pulled his legs up onto the couch and hugged them. "Are you coming to mine or am I going to yours?" He sniffled. 

"Pepper's away again until Wednesday. You're coming to mine… is that okay? Just tell May you're at Ned's." Mr. Stark knew this wasn't the right thing to do, but he knew what it was like to be alone and miss the people who loved you unconditionally. 

"Okay, Mr. Stark," Peter whispered as he wiped his eyes, "That… that sounds okay," 

"I'll be there real soon, Peter," Tony told him. He was going to hate himself for this decision, but for once (or twice?) He was going to go against his better judgement. "Go and wash your face, pack an overnight bag."

"Okay," Peter cried, "I'll see you soon."

When they ended the phone call, Mr. Stark went straight inside and made up some bullshit excuse to cut his dinner party short. Luckily for him, they bought it and took off within the next seven minutes. 

Tony knew this was bad. He did. He'd followed every rule diligently his whole life. Even when he was younger he would never so much as let a receipt fly out of his hands into the air. He spent all his time following every guideline and trying to keep himself out of trouble.

But he knew the moment he opened the door and saw Peter, standing there in the rain, that he was a goner. Everything he believed in was thrown right out of the window. And now, all he could think about was being there for him. 

He drove to Peter's as fast as he could. There was no way he was going to be seen walking into the apartment, just in case someone saw him. He parked opposite the apartment and texted Peter that he was outside. 

As he sent the text, he looked over and saw the building door open. Peter walked out with a bag on his back, wearing a hoodie and jeans. Tony smiled, he was unable to see his face being so far away, but he knew it was him.

Peter checked his phone and looked straight up, noticing Tony sitting in the car. The older man's heart was thumping, everything about this was wrong but making him feel like a teenager again. He watched as Peter's tired and sad face came into view, half smiling as he held onto his backpack. 

Peter approached the car and got in the passenger side, gazing over at the older man. "Hey," he greeted him nervously. 

Tony smiled at him, starting up the car. "Hey kiddo, have you eaten?"

The younger man shook his head. "No, I was just gonna have some cereal before bed." He shivered as he buckled himself in.

"Well, you're in luck. Because I have lots of food back at mine, let's get you fed." Tony replied as they began to drive off down the road. 

As soon as they got to Tony's, he instructed Peter to go into the lounge and put the TV to whatever he wanted. As Peter cuddled up under the blanket that Tony left him, the older man turned on the heating and went to prepare him some dinner. 

Mr. Stark walked through with a tray of food, standing at the door frame, he paused. Peter was cuddling into his pillow, the one that Tony loved but Pepper hated. Of course, the younger man didn't know that. The younger man wiped his eyes as he snuggled into himself. 

"Here you go, honey." Tony offered as he walked through with the tray, placing it on the table in front of the sofa. "Eat all you want."

Peter budged up a little for Tony to sit down. As Tony did, he wrapped his arm around Peter and brought him closer. 

"Thank you so much," Peter's voice was still a shivering mess. The lump in his throat hadn't left yet. He ate slowly as he snuggled into the warm side of his teacher.

Tony couldn't help but feel happier having Peter by his side. He watched him as he ate, not paying attention to the television at all. They didn't talk for a while, it was silent but comfortable as Peter ate what he wanted. 

When he finished, Tony moved the tray back into the kitchen and came back through to Peter. He didn't really know what to say or do, but he knew how he wanted the night to go.

"Pete," Mr. Stark spoke softly, "How do you see the night going?" He was standing and leaning against the wall as he caught the younger man's gorgeous eyes. 

Peter shrugged, "I don't know… I just like being here with you." 

Tony swallowed and nodded. "How about…" he closed his eyes, hating himself more every second. "How about we get into pyjamas and watch a movie? I have some things I want to show you."

Peter smiled, even though his eyes were still rimmed with red. "That sounds good… uh, Mr. Stark, where am I sleeping?"

"Where do you want to sleep?"

The younger man bowed his head as his cheeks flushed, "Like I said, I just like being here with you." 

Tony nodded, tilting his head. "It goes against my better judgement, but sure, Peter. Why don't you go upstairs and have a hot shower, hm? Get into your pyjamas, and I'll get something on the tv upstairs."

Peter stood up and picked up his bag, "Really?" He asked in a sweet voice. "This is actually happening? What happened to "we need to keep apart"?" 

The older man shrugged, slowly walking up to him. "I think we both know that I can't stay away from you." He whispered, gently touching Peter's waist and bringing him in close. "Let me look after you?"

Peter smiled and hugged him, his face nuzzling into Tony's neck. "I missed you, Tony." He said in a small voice. "I missed you so much."

Tony felt his insides warm up with that fuzzy feeling as he wrapped his arms around the sweet young man, holding him softly. "I missed you too, honey." He placed his face against Peter's curls, breathing him in. "Let's get you warm and comfortable and we'll put those tears behind us."

\---

As Peter stood under the hot water, he felt the lump in his throat slowly disappearing. His mind was elsewhere now. He was too busy thinking about Mr. Stark naked in this shower, how he was standing in the exact place that Tony had been. 

He didn't expect this to happen, but he was sure now he was going to get what he wanted. Tony was being adorable, truly adorable. He wanted to look after Peter? And who was he to say no.

Of course, Peter felt a little bad about the fact that Tony was in fact a married man. But she was never around, she didn't put much effort into her husband at all. 

He hurried up and got himself dried after washing himself with the soap that smelled the most like his teacher. When he was dried and in his nightshirt and trousers and stepped out into the hallway. 

"Tony?"

"In here," the older man called from his bedroom. Peter very slowly walked towards it and opened it up, his eyes landing on the man in question. 

Mr. Stark was finishing changing the bed sheets, standing at the far end and smiling at him. "Hey you," he said softly. "Come on, fresh sheets and a movie queued up."

Peter grinned and hit down on his bottom lip as he stepped inside and closed the door. Tony finished what he was doing and dimmed the lights before sitting on top of the duvet, waiting for Peter. 

The younger man climbed up nervously, sitting near him but not too close to touch. They stared at each other nervously for a couple of seconds before one of them decided to speak. 

"Pete, I… I wanted to show you something. And don't worry okay, tonight isn't anything weird. I'm not even going to try to hold your hand, we go at your pace." Tony explained to him softly, sincerity in his voice. 

Peter's lips curved into a delightful smile, raising Tony's spirits. "Thank you," he replied, "I appreciate that, Tony. I hope you don't think I called you for anything like that,"

Tony shook his head, "No, of course not sweetheart. I want you here, I really… I really like you." He let himself be open now, it was the only way to be. "I know I shouldn't, and I know that it's wrong." Tony swallowed, looking into Peter's eyes as if he were looking at his soul. "I'm falling so hard for you."

A wide grin made its way to Peter's face as he blushed heavily. "I'm falling for you too, Mr. Stark,"

Tony's smile returned, "It's Tony, you can call me Tony, honey." 

"I know," Peter giggled, "I just like how it feels to tell my teacher I like him. So what do you want to show me?"

Tony reached over to the bedside table, picking up a large photo album and placing it on the bed. He moved the pillows against the headboard and leaned against it before bringing the book to his lap.

Peter curiously moved up beside him, moving Tony's arm to wrap around him as he curled into his side. The older man pressed play on the movie, letting it softly play in the background. 

"This is what I wanted you to see," he said softly as he gently touched over the book. "This is my family." He handed it over to Peter to look through. 

"Wow," Peter replied as he opened the front cover, "So this is you when you were a kid?"

"Mhm," Tony replied, pulling Peter's slim frame against him and snuggling in. He kissed the top of his head, before pointing to a picture on the second page. "There's my mother, isn't she pretty?"

Peter nodded, she really was. "You have her eyes," he spoke as he stroked the picture. "She's looking at you like you're her world."

The older man clenched his jaw, "Yeah. I was." He kissed Peter's hair softly again. "My mom adored me, my father not so much."

"Why not?" Peter asked him, flipping the page slowly. 

Tony sighed heavily, "He was just a real man's man I guess. I loved the same things he did, but I also enjoyed the things my mother and I did… cooking, baking, writing, reading. The kinda stuff my dad mocked."

"I'm sorry," Peter replied, "But I think you're a very talented writer, and a good cook. Your father missed out."

The older man felt himself become more comfortable and happy with Peter than he'd been with anyone for such a long time. It's not that Pepper didn't talk to him, but she didn't talk to him about the things that mattered to him. Peter, on the other hand, he understood that life was hard, and he knew it wasn't easy to get over and move on. 

"Look how happy you were," Peter cooed at a picture of young Tony playing with one of his dolls. "I love your smile,"

Tony hugged him tighter for a moment, "I love yours too, I hate it when you cry."

Peter's eyes looked over the photos, seeing the cutest photos of baby Tony. He was utterly sweet and adorable. "Tony… who's the other kid there?" Pointing at a kid a few years younger than Tony in the pictures.

The older man nuzzled his face into Peter's hair softly. "Are you sure you want to know?" 

The younger man closed the book over and put it to his side, reaching for Tony's hand and holding it. "Yeah, I'm sure."

"That was my brother." Tony said sadly, his fingers gently playing with Peter's. "I was thirteen when he died… and after that, my mom and dad started fighting a lot." 

Peter entwined their fingers and brought Tony's hand to his lips. He pressed a kiss against the large warm hand at his face. "I'm sorry." 

"It's okay," Tony replied, "They were on their way to visit his grave when they crashed. I was fifteen when I had to figure out how to be a man by myself." 

The younger man turned around and gazed up at him. Tony's deep brown eyes were mesmerising, filled with so many emotions, it made Peter feel connected to him in such a big way. Seeing the older man so vulnerable made him feel safer.

"You did a pretty good job," Peter whispered, raising a hand up to gently touch Tony's jaw. The older man closed his eyes as Peter gently stroked his skin. "I'm sorry about your family."

Tony opened his eyes and smiled sweetly at him, "I'm sorry about yours too, Petie." He whispered, "I wish I could fix your heart, I wish I could take it all away so you would never be sad again."

The younger man was a puddle in his arms, melting at every word Tony spoke. His heart was beating ever so fast as butterflies filled his stomach.

"My parents…" Peter started, looking down at the small space between them. "I never got to say goodbye, but… at least it was two weeks after my birthday."

Tony listened to him, feeling like he wanted to cry as he heard the younger man talk. Peter lay down on the bed, his head against the fluffy pillows as he kept a hold of Tony's hand.

"I didn't understand why they disappeared." Peter admitted, "I thought every day that they were going to come back for me," 

The older man noticed how Peter's eyes reddened a little bit, how his chin quavered. "That must have been hard." Tony lay down too, this time on his side, facing Peter who lay on his back. 

"It was," Peter admitted in a whisper. "Every time the door went I would run to it, hoping that my mom was gonna be there," 

Tony placed his hand on Peter's chest, stroking him ever so softly with his thumb. "I know how you feel."

"No one understands like you do," Peter breathed in heavily, "I just miss them so much! When I was younger, mom used to sing to me to make me smile again." He closed his eyes as a tear slid down his cheek and fell against his ear. 

"It's okay to cry you know, it doesn't make you any less of a man." Tony told him in a whisper, "Come here," Tony offered him, "Face me, honey." 

Peter sniffled and moved to lie on his side so he was face to face with the older man. They were so close, it was killing them both not to be in each other's arms forever. Peter's watery eyes looked into Tony's, losing his breath as he did so. 

He felt the older man's fingers gently touch his cheek, stroking him. When Tony opened his mouth, he didn't say a word. Instead he softly sang in the most gorgeous voice Peter had ever heard. 

"Smile tho' your heart is aching, Smile even tho' it's breaking, When there are clouds in the sky, You'll get by…"

With every word the older man sung, Peter felt himself fall deeper and deeper into infatuation. Tony was comforting him, caring for him, loving him and it made Peter feel like the most important person in the world.

"If you smile, Thro' your fear and sorrow  
Smile and maybe tomorrow, You'll see the sun come shin-ing thro' for you."

Peter moved in closer to cuddle into Tony's chest, completely immersing himself in the older man's scent. "I'll always smile for you," he whispered. 

Tony moved his head closer and gently kissed the younger man. It was slow, sweet and perfect, just what they both needed. Pulling away, Peter cuddled into the older man's chest as they curled up and fell asleep in each other's arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Hope you're enjoying! Remember to comment so I know it's still being read, tell me what you like and don't like 
> 
> The twitter is still sulphuriccherry


	10. Perfect Together

When Peter woke up, he was happy to find out he was still in the strong arms of his teacher. Tony was sound asleep with the most peaceful look on his face. 

The younger man smiled sweetly, staring at the older man's face as he thought back to the other day. He had asked the older man what he thought about love, and the answer was beautiful. 

The more Peter thought about it, the more he came to realise that he was in love with Tony. It wasn't an infatuation, or lust, he truly felt in his heart that the older man was just what he needed. 

Of course last night was just… god, it was perfect! The honesty they shared, the way they lay their most vulnerable pieces on the table to each other to inspect was the most intimate thing that Peter had ever done. 

He did however hate the fact that he didn't get some, in the back of his mind he was hoping that it was going to be the night. Peter had thought about Mr. Stark in every which way, and was desperate to get his hands on his cock.

Peter stroked his face, noticing the little lines by Tony's eyes. The man in his arms was perfect, yeah, a little older. Okay, a lot older. But perfect. His eyes slowly admired the little grey hairs in amongst his partner's hair, then to his jaw line where he couldn't believe how much of a goddamned masterpiece he was.

And all the girls wanted Mr. Stark. There were rumours that half the faculty were into him too. Apparently the women in the maths department were betting over who could get him! Even though he's married… it's not like many people cared. Maybe it's because Pepper was never around so it didn't feel real. 

Anyway, what mattered was Tony had a million choices, but he chose Peter. The younger man felt his heart burst into a rush of emotions as he realised how real this all was.

Peter couldn't help himself but press a sweet kiss against the sleeping man's perfect lips. He lingered for a moment and got a happy surprise when Tony started to kiss him back. 

The older man's arms tightened around him and pulled him close as he sleepily kissed the younger man, not caring about morning breath. Peter let out a happy moan as he felt the older man push his back against the bed as he lay over him.

"Good morning to you too, sweetheart." Tony grinned, his magical hazel eyes staring down at him. 

"I can't believe this is real," Peter was dying over how amazing it felt to have such a perfect body above him. The weight was amazing.

Stark let out a low chuckle before kissing him again. "Me neither, Petie. I'm really happy you're here. You're not having second thoughts are you?"

Peter shook his head, "Not one." He slid his arms up Tony's and settled his hands on his back, feeling the warmth from the older man.   
"Do I have to leave?"

"Hm," Stark pretended to think. "I think that one's up to you. I don't want your aunt to ask questions, but I also don't want you to go."

That was true, Tony wanted Peter to stay forever. Right now, he didn't feel like a married man, a respected man, a teacher or a principal. He felt like a teenager in his first relationship, his heart was fluttering and his stomach was filled with the best nerves. 

Looking at Peter inspired poetry inside him, and he loved it.

The younger man beamed under him, eyes shining as he looked up in wonder. "I want to spend the day with you… maybe the night? When does 'she' return?"

Tony kissed his nose. "'She' won't return for a few days. So if you can come up with a good excuse that your aunt will buy, I'd love for you to stay." He trailed kisses down Peter's jaw, settling on his neck and covering it with love.

Peter shivered underneath him, "God… yes… could we maybe," his mouth was dry as he felt himself get excited. His fingers clenched in Tony's shirt, "Could we maybe do some stuff today?"

"What kinda stuff?" Tony whispered in his eat before nibbling on the lobe.,

Peter's eyes fluttered shut, licking his lips he could feel the makings of an erection pressing up into Tony. "Like… maybe I can see you naked, and you can see me naked?"

"That," Tony whispered in a low voice, "That sounds perfect." He nuzzled into the boy's neck. "But not right now, I want us to take things a little slower," 

The younger man whined, pushing his hips up against Tony. "But I wanna…"

The older man let out a low chuckle before nuzzling into the younger man's soft neck. "I know, I want to too, but it's ten am. Let me into your world a little more, and then we can do whatever you want."

Peter's smile was genuinely the most radiant and beautiful thing that Tony had ever seen. It damn near melted his heart seeing how happy he was making the younger man. Tony bowed his head and gave him a sweet kiss.

"I adore you," Tony whispered, "I shouldn't, but I do."

"I adore you too, Mr. Stark," Peter grinned. 

\---

Tony handed Peter fresh towels to go and have himself a hot shower as he checked in with Pepper that she definitely wouldn't be coming home for a few days. She was none the wiser or course, but wasn't due home any time soon. 

He sat on his marital bed, listening to Peter humming away in the shower. He should feel bad, he knows that. Sure, the photos of his friends and family glared at him, telling him how much of an awful human being he was. 

But Tony couldn't bring himself to care. Today he was going to live, and if that meant to finally follow his instinct and kiss the gorgeous being that had burned himself into his mind, then he would. 

The older man made some breakfast to bring up to Peter for when he came out of the shower, which was greatly appreciated. 

When Tony jumped in and Peter got dressed, they made sure to stay clear of each other. Because Tony knew if he saw the smallest bit of uncovered skin on that angelic being, he would drop to his knees and devour him right then and there, but Peter was inexperienced and that wasn't fair. 

After breakfast, Peter had searched around and found some board games to play. Both of them sat on the made bed, in Tony's clothes as they played scrabble. 

Peter had called May, who was more than happy he was staying away at Neds, which meant he also had to call Ned and get him to cover. Ned was fine with it as long as he was told the truth, which he would get next week. 

"That's not a word." Peter giggled, "Aren't you a published author?"

"I've heard people saying this, at least eight students have said this." The older man fought his corner with a smirk. 

"Use it in a sentence then!" 

"... I can't think of one!" Tony laughed as he took his pieces off of the board. Peter did a little victory dance with a smile plastered on his face. 

The older man watched him, "Why do you like me, Peter? A pretty little thing like you can have your choice of anyone." 

Peter's face turned pink as he tried not to gush too hard over those words. "Uh… I could ask you the same," He answered sweetly. "Everyone wants you. Half the school is obsessed with you." 

Tony chuckled, placing a word on the board. "Really? Well, I don't care about them, do I? I have my prize right here." 

The younger man giggled in embarrassment, "I can't believe you like me… ah," he hid his face with his hand before going to take his next turn. "You're just so… you're the most perfect man, you know? Handsome… smart… talented… caring… hot… funny… interesting. Who wouldn't want you?" 

The older man grinned, taking a note of the scores. "I'm not all that, Petie." 

"I love it when you call me that," Peter replied. "And you are. I promise."

Tony bit his lip as he scanned the board, looking for a place to put his word. Inside he felt content and happy for the first time in so long. "Petie," he whispered with a smile.

They continued to play the game, making comments at each other's skills as they did so. Tony was lying on his side, leaning on his elbow as Peter sat cross legged opposite him. 

"You know, I've never quite been taken with someone like I am with you." Tony commented. "From the moment you hugged me, I knew for sure something was going to happen."

Peter's eyes flicked up at him, "You did?"

Tony nodded, "Of course. I'm basically putting my entire life on the line for you… I would never do that for anyone else."

The younger man's smile couldn't get wider if he tried. The very idea that someone as intelligent and respected in this world could look at him and see something worth taking the biggest chance on in him, that made him feel on top of the world. 

"So…" Peter took a hasty breath in. "What about ' _her_ '?" He stared down at the game as to not catch Tony's eye. He didn't want the older man to know how jealous he actually was of her.

He heard the older man sigh heavily. The few moments it took for him to reply were the longest moments in Peter's life. 

"' _She_ ' is a tough one." Tony began, "Obviously, we're married, and we have a life together."

Peter shut down, clenching his jaw as he felt a mix of anger and jealousy moving around inside of him. He stared into the board but wasn't taking in the obvious next step of the game. 

The older man noticed this, but he didn't really know how to reply. He didn't have a clue how things were really going to work or what he wanted. He knew he wanted Peter, but everything else was a colossal mess. 

"Petie, sweetheart… I want you. But until we can… be together," he gazed up hopelessly at Peter, "This has to be a secret."

Peter opened his mouth to speak, but took a while to get out the words. "So you're going to kiss us both? And touch us… both… and I have to be okay with that?"

Tony's mouth hung open, "I… I guess I didn't think about it like that." He said quietly, "That's not very fair." 

The younger man shrugged and licked his lips nervously. "No,"

"I guess that means I'll have to stop sleeping with her then." Tony stated clearly, grabbing Peter's attention. 

"You… you'd… you'd do that?" Peter asked, wide eyed and totally bewildered. 

"I would." Tony confirmed, "I promise not to sleep with her, if that makes all of this easier on you." He sat up and stroked Peter's face, lifting it up so he could see it. "Would you like that?"

The younger man's eyes were innocent and sweet, filled with fear and insecurity. "I would,"

Tony tilted his head, his face dropping a little. "But… I might have to kiss her. If I don't, she'll know something's up. That might have to be where we compromise."

"I understand," Peter whispered sadly, "But I don't like it." He had to speak honestly. The very idea of Pepper's lips on Tony made Peter's stomach churn. Yes, she was his wife. But she doesn't deserve him. 

"Thank you for understanding," Tony kissed his cheek softly, his scent surrounding Peter. "I'd always rather be kissing you."

"Do you love her?" Peter asked, closing his eyes again.

"She's my wife, of course I love her." Tony replied, in a serious tone. "But… I'm not in love with her. If I was in love with her, I wouldn't be here with you."

"Do you love me?" Peter's voice was a whisper, "I know you don't… but… could you maybe love me?"

Tony placed his hand on Peter's face and stroked it, kissing Peter's jaw very softly before finding his way to his mouth. He noticed that the younger man wasn't kissing him back so he pulled away, rubbing their noses together. 

"Peter, I am utterly beguiled by you," he whispered, "I'm falling for you harder than I've ever fallen for anyone." He kissed Peter's nose. "I promise, Petie, you're more important to me."

Peter opened his eyes, staring up into Tony's deep hazel ones, "That's not an answer," he whispered. "Could you fall in love with me… or am I wasting my time?"

Tony chuckled, "I could most definitely fall in love with you." He bit down on his bottom lip as he scanned Peter's face, "And when all of this is over, we can run away together… just you and I."

The younger man grinned, "You promise?" 

"Oh, I promise." Tony spoke, "Kiss me to seal the deal." The older man rubbed their noses together. 

Peter's hands gently touched Tony's neck and pulled him in close, capturing him in the most gorgeous and loving kiss. 

They pulled away after a few minutes of bliss, smiling, they decided to keep going with the game. Halfway into the second game, Peter decided to change the subject. 

"Tony?" He asked shyly, chewing on his bottom lip as his eyes trailed up the older man's body. "Tony, do you think I'm… pretty?"

The older man looked straight up at him. "Of course I do! You're very pretty."

A small smile crawled over Peter's face, "What about me is pretty?"

Tony licked his lips and reached out to gently touch Peter's hand, stroking it gently. He spoke in a smooth and low voice, every word genuine and from the heart.

"Let's start with those intensely exquisite hazel eyes of yours, the ones that drag me into orbit every time you look at me." 

The tension in the room changed almost immediately, Peter's heart raced as he closed his eyes. He wasn't used to compliments, but now he was getting one from a poet, he felt so special. 

Tony carried on talking, bringing Peter's hand to his face and kissing the palm softy. "And that infectious smile… Petie, it makes my knees weak." He kissed Peter's hand again. 

The younger man was breathing deeper now. 

"That perfect, creamy skin of yours," Tony spoke, placing a kiss on Peter's inner wrist. "Oh, and your body, don't get me started."

Peter smirked as he blushed, melting into the moment as he opened his eyes and looked down at Tony. "I can't wait to see yours." He whispered, "I've… I've never done anything before."

Tony seductively bit on his bottom lip, "Does that mean… you're all mine?" He asked in a low voice. 

The younger man nodded slowly, "If you'll have me." He said coyly, tilting his head to the side. 

The older man could barely take it, Peter was so cute and perfect, so endearing and sweet. He just wanted to mess him up and make him his. "Come here," 

Without any consideration to the scrabble board, Peter practically lunged himself at the older man, grabbing him by the shirt and capturing him in a kiss. Tony moaned as he felt the younger man's slim body move against him. 

It was like their brains switched themselves off, and they were living a lifetime in every moment, head going fuzzy, heart going wild. 

One of Tony's hands were on Peter's jaw as the other slid around his waist, holding his back as he kissed him, deepening the kiss and letting his tongue explore Peter's mouth. 

When the younger man moaned, it was the sexiest fucking thing that Tony had ever heard. He pulled Peter's body against him and turned them over on the bed so the younger man had his back against the mattress. 

The scrabble pieces scattered as Mr. Stark crawled over Peter, his hands sliding up his torso. Peter licked his lips and looked up wildly at the older man, wide eyes, mouth open, pupils dilated. 

"Can I take this off, Petie?" 

Peter nodded, "Yes please," he breathed as he lifted himself slightly for the older man to take off his shirt. As Peter's body was uncovered, Tony's eyes travelled over him, drinking him in. 

"Good god, kiddo." Stark whispered as he let his fingers trace over the younger man's firm chest, fondling with his nipples. 

"Mr. Stark," Peter moaned, loving the way the dynamic was shifting. He wanted this more than he ever could imagine, and he needed it. "Mr. Stark, I've been a bad boy," 

The older man lost his breath, raising his eyebrow. "Is that what we're doing, Petie?" He asked in a low husky voice, "You want to play that game?"

Peter nodded, speaking in an innocent voice. "Please, Mr. Stark, teach me to be good for you." 

"Fucking hell," Tony cursed, dipping down to kiss Peter hard, his own body dying to be touched. He could feel his hard, clothed cock pressing into Peter's as he kissed the life out of the younger man.

Parting for air, Peter gasped as the older man's lips attached to his neck, kissing and biting his way down his clavicle. 

"Oh, Mr. Stark!" Peter moaned as his hand knitted into Tony's hair, "I'm not gonna last long."

The older man chuckled before sucking on one of Peter's nipples, the other getting rubbed by his fingertips. 

"Ohmyfuckinggod!" Peter exclaimed, his head digging backwards into the pillow, his cock twitching and aching to be touched. 

Tony's hands continued to smooth over Peter's body as he moved himself in between Peter's legs. "You're young," he whispered against Peter's abdomen. "You can cum for me a few times,"

The younger man's eyes were shut as he felt the older man's hand smooth up his leg towards his crotch, his hand covering it and squeezing it. 

"Ohmygod, Mr. Stark!" Peter moaned loudly, "I need it, I need it so badly."

"Is that right, Mr. Parker?" Stark asked as he sat up a little. "Do I have permission to take your trousers off?"

"Mr. Stark, you have permission for everything," he moved his hips a little, urging the older man to keep touching him.

Stark's hands held onto the hem of Peter's trousers as they pulled them down, along with his underwear. His eyes were glued to Peter's perfect cock as it bounced out of his confines, moaning at how pretty it was. It was a really good size as well, not that he expected any different. 

"Peter, you're gorgeous." He adored him as he rid Peter of his clothes and licked his lips, towering over the younger man. "Open your eyes," Tony said, dry mouthed. "Baby, please."

Peter did as he was told and looked down to see the older man looking up at him. Their eye contact remained as Tony licked his hand before reaching down to take hold of his student's cock. 

"Fuck!" Peter gasped, feeling those strong and perfect fingers around his cock. Stark began to jerk him off as he watched the younger man's pink face. Peter's mouth was open as he lost control, jerking his hips up against Tony's hand. 

"Mr… oh god… Tony!" Peter moaned, "Can you… please…" He was finding it hard to figure out words, every sensation was new to him and he found himself buzzing with delight.

"Use your words." His teacher told him, enjoying how Peter's entire body was reacting to his touch.

"Mouth… Mr. Stark! Please!" 

"Oh. You want me to use my mouth, hm?" Tony smirked as he wetted his lips. "Should I take this perfect cock in my mouth?"

Peter nodded as a whine ripped from his throat, "Please, please!"

Tony removed his hand and settled between Peter's legs. Sure, he was the adult, and had had many blowjobs before, but he had no idea what he was doing. He didn't want to disappoint Peter, but he knew that the younger man would be grateful for it regardless. He didn't want Peter to know how unsure he was, so he went right for it.

Peter cried out loudly as Tony's mouth surrounded his cock, sheathing it in a warm and wet haven. He knew he was almost spent already. He peered down to see his cock sliding in and out of the older man's perfect mouth, saliva dripping from his lips. 

"Holy fuck!" Peter moaned, his hands clasping into the sheets beneath him. Tony sucked him deep, bobbing his head and letting his fingers play with Peter's balls. 

"Mr. Stark! I'm so close! I… I can't last… you're so fucking hot!" Peter exclaimed as he watched his teacher swallow his cock. "I wanna cum for you, oh fuck, Sir!" 

Tony gripped the back of Peter's thighs as he sucked harder, eager to make the younger man scream with pleasure. He actually really enjoyed this. The taste of Peter, the gorgeous body beneath him, begging to cum. 

Mr. Stark opened his eyes and looked up at Peter. The moment their eyes met, Peter lost all hope.

"I… I… DADDY!" Peter cried out loudly as he shot his load into his teacher's throat. "Daaaadddyyy!!!" He moaned in a shiver as his teacher continued to drink him down. 

Tony pulled away, licking his lips as he wore a devilish grin. His own cock was so hard that it hurt. He watched as Peter turned red, his hands flying up to cover his face in embarrassment. 

"I'm sorry, I'm so fucking sorry, oh my god-" Peter's voice broke, tears starting to come out of his eyes. The poor thing was shaking! 

Tony cocked his head and lay over him, "Hey, hey," he said softly, gently removing Peter's hands as he cried. "What are you sorry for?"

Peter's chin shivered as tears continued to come. "I called you… I said that word… and it's not okay, it's… wr… wrong, I'm so ssssorry, you must think I'm a weirdo!" 

The older man gently leaned down and kissed away the tears softly, shushing him in a calming tone. "Petie, it's okay… it's a really common kink." He comforted him. "It was really… really hot."

"It was?" Peter asked quietly, "I… I don't want you to think I… see you as a dad or something." He soothed down a little, his hands sliding around Tony's waist. 

"I don't think that," the older man replied, staring down at him. "It's a different thing altogether, and I quite liked it." 

The younger man's smile came back, peering up at Tony. "I really loved what you did to me," he whispered, his own hands daring to snake under Tony's shirt and feeling his warm, soft, muscled back. 

"I liked it too," Tony smirked, looking at Peter's mouth then up to his perfect eyes. "Do you want to do more… or is that enough for now?"

"I want you to cum." Peter spoke almost immediately, "I want to see it."

The older man raised an eyebrow and looked a mixture between proud and amused. "And how do you want me to cum, little one?"

Peter's face flushed, licking his lips as he continued to slide his elegant fingers up and down Tony's back. "I want to see you naked, and… and I want you to touch yourself whilst looking at me…" he said nervously. "And maybe then… I can… I can taste you?"

"Fuck," Tony groaned, closing his eyes and kissing down Peter's jaw. "That sounds perfect," he whispered against his neck. "Do you want me to strip for you or are you going to take my clothes off?"

Peter moaned as he let his hands go down to Tony's trousers, daring to slip underneath and connect with the perfectly shaped cheeks that awaited him. "I wanna…" Peter whispered, "Please." He squeezed Tony's ass, making the older man chuckle. 

"Go ahead, baby, take it from here." 

The younger man rolled them over, nervously pinning his teacher down as his eyes roamed over him. Peter moved back a little, "Uh… sit up? I wanna take this off," he tugged on Tony's shirt. 

Tony did as he was told and sat up, helping Peter pull the material from his toned chest. As Peter threw the shirt away, his eyes filled up with desire as he saw his teacher's chest for the first time. 

"Ohmygod," Peter whispered. Stark was a very strong, muscled man and he had the perfect amount of chest hair. Peter reached out and touched it for the first time, stroking his chest.

The older man watched him with the sweetest, loving expression on his face. Peter was exploring another person's body for the first time and it meant so much to both of them. 

Peter's fingers found Tony's nipples and played with them a little, his eyes looking up to the older man to make sure he wasn't doing anything wrong. The older man bit his lip and nodded, indicating he was doing a good job. 

Peter placed his hand on Tony's chest and pushed him down against the bed before he bent down to suck on the older man's nipple. 

"Ooh," Tony groaned, putting one arm under his head to keep it up, watching as Peter enjoyed him. "Baby," 

The younger man suckled as his nipple before moving to the other one, gently touching down his body. Peter let his instincts take over as he kissed and licked down Tony's body, towards his crotch. 

"I… I want to see it," Peter groaned as he let his hand firmly press against the length of Tony's clothed cock. 

"Uhhhh," Stark groaned, "You can, you can do whatever you want." 

Peter nodded, swallowing hard as he sat up, watching his hands as he unbuttoned Tony's trousers, pulling them over his hips. As soon as his teacher was bare legged, Peter's eyes went straight to the last piece of clothing he had to remove. 

Tony's thighs were beautiful, just like the rest of him. Strong, thick, gorgeous and longing to wrap around him. Peter's eyes were wide with anticipation as Tony's large cock twitched under its confines. 

"You don't have to," the older man told him. "There's no pressure here."

The younger man didn't listen to him, instead he slid the palms of his hands up Tony's thighs before pulling at the hem of his boxers. 

He slowly pulled them down, uncovering the most beautiful, thick cock. Peter's mouth was hung open and dry. He couldn't believe he was here, he didn't believe he was actually looking at his gorgeous teacher's huge cock, and he could barely remember how he got here.

But boy, was he glad he was. 

He swallowed hard as he looked up to Tony, of whom was watching him. "Wow." Peter whispered. Peter was achingly hard again, his cock bouncing between his legs as he watched Tony.

The older man smirked, "You want me to touch myself for you?" He asked in a seductive tone. 

Peter whined in reply, sitting back on his feet as he nodded. He watched as his partner raised his hand and wrapped it around his dick, pumping it slowly at first. With every move, Peter was getting higher up the addiction to Tony scale. 

"Baby…" Tony moaned, "You're so pretty." 

Peter's eyes went up to meet Stark's. He looked innocent yet deviant, which made Tony's heart go wild. He fastened the pace of his hand, lips open as he moaned again. Peter was staring at him with his big doe eyes, sitting there, naked and hard, watching his every movement like he was going to be tested on it.

"Oooohhh, oh, Petie…" his thumb swiped over the head of his cock as his other hand went down to fondle his own balls. "Petie!"

Peter noticed how his nipples were hard, and his chest was rising and falling. He took in the mesmerising sight, wanting to remember this forever. But he wasn't going to let Tony finish like this. 

"You feel good, daddy?" Peter asked, a hand on Tony's thigh.

"Fuck!" The older man gasped, the use of the word 'daddy' driving him insane. "Yes, yes I feel so good,"

Peter grinned, "I can see that," he licked his lips as he put himself between Tony's legs, 

"You're really hot, Mr. Stark." Peter praised him, "You're so fucking perfect." 

Tony let out a long moan as he continued to touch himself, watching his hand stroke his cock by the younger man's face.

"Move your hand."

Tony did as commanded and dropped his hands, moving one to behind his head again in order to look down. Peter continued to stroke his thighs as he licked his lips, trying to figure out what he was going to do. 

"Put it in your mouth, sweetie." Tony helped him softly, "Daddy's so excited." 

Peter smiled as he let his hand hold Tony's cock for the first time, making him moan. The younger man let his tongue explore his teacher's thick cock, covering it in saliva before massaging the head.

"Ohjesus-fuck!" Tony groaned, rolling his hips a little. Peter got the idea and wrapped his lips around the head, sucking it almost immediately as he, himself, moaned. 

"Fuck, baby." Stark closed his eyes and let himself feel it as his student sucked down on him, saliva dripping down his cock as the wet warmth slid further down. "Oooohh,," 

Peter was really enjoying himself, he tried to take Tony's cock in as best as he could but he was too thick. He could feel his lips stretching around it. One hand was around Tony's base, jerking it off into his mouth.

"Yes!" Tony moaned, letting one hand thread into Peter's curls, "Yes baby, more!" He continued to softly thrust his hips along with Peter's head, feeling the younger man's fingers fondle his balls. 

"Kid… oh fuck," his back arched a little as he neared his edge. Tony looked down to see Peter going to town on him, putting all his energy into it as he moaned, gagged and slurped around his cock. 

Tony had never seen something so beautiful, Peter actually wanted him, loved him, enjoyed him. He wanted to please him, and make him feel good. Peter was pretty and sweet, and everything he said and did made Tony fall harder. 

Now Peter's mouth was moving against his cock, doing a better job than his wife ever did. Enthusiasm was really an important part of it, and Peter was doing an admirable job.

Tony felt wanted, and it made him enjoy this so much more.

"BABY, OH FUCK," he exclaimed as he pulled Peter's hair, trying to make him look up. "Baby I'm so close! Can I… can I cum?" 

Peter moaned in approval, removing his hand a little and trying to get Tony's cock in deeper. Tony's head fell back against the pillow as he moaned loudly, thrusting into the boy's mouth.

"I'm… I'm gonna… PETER!" Tony cried out as he thrust up, cumming hard down the younger man's throat. Peter slurped as much as he could, coming off for air and going back to clean it up.

He sat back up and stared up at his teacher, "Was I good?"

"Get the fuck here," Tony growled as he sat up breathlessly and pulled the younger man towards him. Their lips crashed together as they fell onto the mattress in a heap, rolling around and grabbing at each other. Peter nearly died when their bodies touched completely, the perfect feeling making him want to cum right there and then.

Tony touched him everywhere he could, kissing him frantically as they both groaned and moaned. "I fucking love you, Peter." He pressed the younger man to the bed, "I'll do anything for you," he kissed Peter's neck, biting down on it. 

"You want anything and it's yours." He grasped the younger man's hips. "Say the word."

Peter was high on sex and Tony, every word filling up his heart, his soul. He felt loved and adored as he moved against the older man. "I want you," he whispered directly into his ear. "I want you now… I want you forever."

"You got it," Tony kissed him hard again. "You've got me." He was breathless and attentive, wanting to make Peter feel amazing.

Peter's nails were digging into his back as he humped up against Tony for friction. "Please… have sex with me!" He requested, "I want you so badly!

Tony growled, "My pleasure, sweetheart," he reached over into the drawer and pulled out a tube of lube. "Tell me how you want it baby boy, it's all you." He nibbled on Peter's earlobe.

Peter was putty in Tony's arms, he didn't know what he wanted but he knew he wanted him. Everything felt so real and so right, his body aching to be devoured by his teacher. "I wanna see you," he whispered, hand on the side of Tony's face, "Please, just keep loving me."

The older man opened the lube and squirted some onto his fingers before moving it down Peter's body. Peter's legs opened as he peered up at Tony, their eyes on each other as the older man lay beside him. 

Tony's spare hand was sitting by Peter's face as he stroked his cheek, smiling down at him. "Oh, you've ruined me, kid." He whispered, watching Peter blush and smile back. "I'm gonna go slow, if you need me to stop, just tell me."

Peter nodded and closed his eyes.

"No baby, look up at me, we'll do this together." Tony comforted him, "I'm doing this with you." 

The younger man opened his eyes and watched the older man's sweet face as Tony's fingertip found his entrance, circling it for a few moments before slowly pushing in.

Peter's mouth opened but no sound came out, his cock twitching in want. This was Tony's favourite moment, watching the younger man's face as he felt the insertion for the first time. 

"There you go, buttercup." Tony whispered with a smirk, "Look at you,"

He pushed the finger fully inside and waited for the go-ahead before he pulled it out again. The watched the way Peter's eyes reacted to every movement, finger fucking him for a few minutes. 

When the second finger went in, Peter moaned, it was deep and throaty, needy and fucking hot. "You like that, huh?" He kissed Peter's cheek as he pushed the two fingers in and out a little faster.

"Oh fuck," Peter moaned finally, "Oh my god,"

"You are so tight," Tony whispered into his ear, "So tight for me. I'm so excited, Petie." He moaned, licking Peter's earlobe into his mouth.

"Oohh… Mr. Stark, more!" Peter moaned, rolling his hips. "Please!"

Tony pushed another digit in, slowly to begin with, stretching and opening out the younger man. He focused on Peter's reactions, moving the way his expressions seemed to love. He knew by how vocal Peter was being when he was enjoying it most. 

When he brushed Peter's prostate, the younger man cried out. "OH FUCK!"

"God, I love it when you swear." Tony praised him, pulling out his fingers and reaching for more lube. "Are you sure you want this?"

Peter's glistening eyes were dilated, he licked his lips and grinned, his cheeks rosey and his skin sweaty. "I do," he gently touched his cock, "Please?"

"Of course, let me just grab protection." He smirked as he leaned over to the bedside table.

"No, you don't have to." Peter insisted, "It's us… I trust you."

Tony looked at him with a half smile, moving the curls from his forehead. "We need to be safe, god, what are the teachers telling you?" He shook his head. "Unprotected sex isn't good, especially anal, and especially because I've been sexually active."

Peter frowned slightly, "But… it means you're mine… and I'm yours." He whispered, "I want us to be… us."

"You're adorable," Tony sighed. "We are us, I promise we're us." He leaned down and kissed him. 

"And you're not gonna be with her anymore, remember?" Peter asked shyly, "Can I be yours? You said… you love me."

Tony gave up, moving back onto the bed and putting the lube on his shaft, before climbing on top of Peter's body. 

"You," Tony spoke softly as he moved Peter's legs up. "Are the only person," he moved himself into position as he lay over Peter, one hand on his neck and the other on his cock. "Who has this kind of hold over me. You ready, baby?"

Peter smiled nervously, "I am, kiss me."

Tony leaned down and connected their lips as he slowly pushed himself inside the younger man. He could feel Peter tense up and shake a little as he pushed himself further inside. The older man broke this kiss to exclaim loudly.

"Fuck, Peter, you feel fucking amazing!" He gasped, the tight warmth around him driving him insane. He'd never felt something like this before, and he couldn't ever see himself going back. 

"Sta-ark," Peter said in a broken sob, gripping onto the back of Tony's shoulders. "You're… nnnggh so big," Peter whined.

"I am," Tony whispered in a husky voice, fully inserting himself. "GOD!"

"I love you, Tony." Peter cuddled his head into Tony's neck, "I wanna cum, make me cum." His whines were needy and fucking hot.

The older man wrapped one arm around Peter to keep him safe as the other held onto his soft hip. "It'd be my pleasure." He pulled out slowly before pushing back in, listening to Peter's breathing and noises becoming needier. 

"Ahhh, ohhh fuck," Peter's broken voice moaned loudly into Tony's skin, "Toooony,"

The older man's eyes were rolling back into his head, this was beyond amazing. He didn't know he needed it this much. Feeling Peter hold onto him for safety made him feel needed and wanted, which he never felt before. 

He thrust his hips a little faster, heading deeper inside the younger man, both of them shaking and moaning in tandem. Their bodies were hot, sweaty and writhing. Tony didn't use the full force of his hips, because he wanted to protect Peter from getting too hurt on his first time 

"You're okay baby boy," Tony told him, "You feel so good… oh darling, fuck!" He knew he wasn't going to last much longer, so he let his hand snake between them and massaged Peter's cock. 

"OHMYGOD!" Peter cried out, "I feel… Oh… I… AH FUCK!" He gripped tighter into the older man, panting and sobbing with pleasure. "Mr. Stark! Can I cum?"

Still moving his hips, he kissed Peter's head. "Yes, baby, you can cum, cum for me sweetheart!" He continued to jerk Peter off. 

It took three more strokes before Peter came hard between them, crying into Tony's ear as he clung to him. "MR. STARK!" It was the hottest fucking thing Tony had ever experienced, seeing someone completely come apart for him. 

Tony's cock was nestled deep inside of him while the muscles spasmed around it, bringing him over the edge and making him shoot his load inside of his student. "FUCK PETER!" He cried out, letting Peter's ass milk his cock. 

It was silent except for their breathing. Tony kissed him as he slowly pulled out, gentle kisses across his face. When he looked at the younger man's face, he saw how the younger man glowed, how he looked incredibly happy and exhausted. 

"You did so well," Tony comforted him, "Did you enjoy that?"

Peter turned over and cuddled into his body, "I loved it." He kissed Tony's chest as he snuggled, "Did you?"

"Of course I loved it." Tony replied, pulling a blanket over them both. "You have a scrabble letter on your leg." He chuckled as he leaned over to pick it up. 

Peter looked down to see it with a giggle, he noticed there was one on Tony's hip. "So do you," 

They picked them both up and showed the other one. "Oh my god," Peter laughed, "You have a P."

"And you have a… T," Tony shook his head. "You know what that means?" 

The younger man shook his head with a tired smile, "No, tell me." 

Tony wrapped both arms around him and snuggled him against his chest. "It meants we're meant to be."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! Keep the comments coming so I know how I'm doing. It's a big trope and I don't wanna let you all down ❤
> 
> Starker Priv Twitter is sulphuriccherry!


	11. Telling Ned

The weekend felt like a dream. From the moment Peter left his teacher's side, he missed him more than he ever thought he could. He suddenly felt like an adult, like his world had turned around and something inside him had changed. He went to bed with a smile, and one of his teacher shirts to cuddle into. 

Although he knew it was morally wrong, it didn't feel wrong. In fact, nothing had ever felt more right than being with him. Tony had held him when he cried, and kissed him softly whispering sweet compliments. He felt like he was living on cloud nine. 

Before Tony drove him home, they were cuddled on the couch watching a David Attenborough documentary, telling each other facts and laughing about how much they had in common. The older man was extremely attentive, especially since they'd just had sex. He even gave Peter some cream to use in case it hurt.

So yeah, Peter was in deep love with the most amazing man he had ever met. And Tony loved him too! What's more amazing than the person you love wanting you back just as much? 

He came home that night and couldn't put his pen down, all he did was write poetry inspired by his new love. 

Peter could NOT believe he just lost his virginity! To an older man! To his teacher! Ahh, wait… does this mean that Tony was his secret boyfriend? They didn't quite hash out the rules on that one. But he would do that soon. 

The younger man thought back to the moment he became an adult, the very moment his lover's cock filled him up. It was just as magical as he had always wanted it to be, and yet, it felt so real and raw. He knew it was a bad idea to ask to do it without protection, but it meant something to him. It meant that Stark was serious about his words and promises. If the older man was playing him, he wouldn't have given in. 

As he got up for school the next day, dancing around the apartment as he got ready, he remembered that he had told Ned he was going to tell him everything.

He had NO idea how any of this was going to go down, but Peter was scared that Ned wouldn't be on his side. He was more nervous about telling Ned than anything he was actually doing. I mean, of course Peter felt TERRIBLE about being a 'mistress' so to say, but he was in love, and young. So he tried to push away the bad feelings. 

One day, Tony would be his forever.

\---

Ned caught up with him at the school gates, running up and nudging him so he would take out his earphones. 

"Oh hey, Ned." Peter spoke with a grin, "How was your weekend?"

Ned looked at him with a knowing look, "No, you're not changing the subject, you have to tell me everything!" He stated, raising his eyebrows. 

"Not here!" Peter exclaimed, looking around them and seeing students walking everywhere. "It has to be somewhere secret, because this is like, the biggest secret you'll ever keep. Can you do that?"

His best friend looked incredibly excited, like this was the best thing he had been a part of in ages. Ned nodded enthusiastically, "Of course, I can! I can help you with whatever it is, you just gotta tell me!"

"Okay," Peter took a deep breath in, "We have to go somewhere deserted, but we have class in like, seven minutes."

"Let's skip first period and just say we got in late, come on I NEED to hear this!" Ned requested, begging Peter for this. 

Peter had NEVER skived class before in his life, and to be fair he didn't want to because he loved school way too much. But, in honour of this new, rule-breaking Peter, he decided it wouldn't be such a bad thing. And anyway, if he was caught, he'd be sent to see his boyfriend anyway. (Or whatever they were.)

"Fine! Let's get outta here before anyone sees us!" Peter grabbed Ned by the wrist and let him back out the gates. They walked down the road to a little park that was hidden by a few trees. 

Ned sat down on one of the swings as Peter paced in front of him, trying to come up with the right words. "Okay," Peter licked his lips, pausing and looking straight at his best friend. "You have to tell me a secret first before I tell you this, so I know you're not going to tell anyone."

Ned laughed, "What happened to trusting your best friend?!"

"I'm serious! Ned, this is bigger than both of us, if you tell people you'll ruin so many people's lives. Please?" Peter begged him, seriously upset about this.

Ned noticed his tone and the smile dropped, "Yeah, okay, that's fine. I let my sisters do make up on me when I'm babysitting them, they have pictures. My mom won't delete them because she thinks it's funny or whatever, you can ask her to send you them."

Peter smiled like he was gonna laugh, but then remembered the gravity of the situation. "Thanks Ned," he stood up straight. "Are you ready?"

Ned nodded, furrowing his eyebrows.

"Mr. Stark is having a secret affair." Peter stated.

His best friend's mouth fell open, "Oh my god?! What?! With who?!"

Peter just smirked at him, his cheeks going a little red as he felt a weird wave of excitement wave over him. It was kind of exhilarating for some reason? 

Ned paused, a hint of realisation on his face before his eyes stretched open in pure shock. "YOU?!"

Peter nodded enthusiastically with a grin, "Yes! Oh my god, Ned, you have no idea what it's like to finally tell someone!" He jumped twice because he couldn't contain his excitement.

Ned was utterly dumbfounded, "I can't believe this! You HAVE to tell me everything! Have you, like, kissed him?"

"We did a little more than that… I went over to his place this weekend, and let's just say I'm no longer a virgin!" Peter exclaimed, before turning around and making sure no one was there. 

"DUDE?!" Ned gasped, "Wait, wait wait," he put his hand up. "All of this was consensual right?"

"Yeah, of course it was." Peter confirmed, "I was the one who went after him, and he tried to resist but then he told me he missed me and he suspended Flash, and he let me in his house and cooked for me! He really likes me and I like him… I love him!"

Ned stood up and hugged him, "Listen, I'm so happy for you, just be careful, know what you're doing and be safe, okay?"

Peter hugged him back with a smile. "Thank you, and don't worry okay? I know what I'm doing. We just gotta keep this between us,"

"Yeah of course," Ned pulled away. "I've got your back on this one, I just don't want you to get attacked by Mrs. Stark."

"Oh god, me neither," Peter laughed nervously as he rubbed his neck, thinking about how real this all was. 

So Ned and Peter sat on the grass in the park and talked about EVERYTHING. Ned was asking all these questions about their relationship to make sure that none of this was coercion, and he was so happy to find out how mature Peter was being about this.

Of course, Ned was not okay with his best friend having an affair. It didn't matter to him about it being a teacher, and of course the whole gay thing didn't bother him in the slightest, but it was a crazy story. 

They completely forgot about school, which didn't come into conversation until lunch time when they both decided they wanted food. 

"We are so fucking late," Peter commented as they grabbed their bags and headed towards the building. "Tony will be waiting for me with lunch."

"And I have a date with a library book," Ned replied. "I must admit, I hate the fact you don't have lunch with me anymore. It kinda sucks, losing your best friend to your English teacher."

Peter looked at him, he didn't realise that Ned would be affected by it. Rather, he didn't think about it at all. He obviously would invite Ned to come and sit with them, but that would make Mr. Stark very uncomfortable. 

"I'm so sorry, Ned." Peter spoke as they walked up to one of the school's side doors. "I didn't mean to abandon you, forgive me?"

"Can you have lunch with me sometimes?" Ned asked, opening the door for them both. 

"Yeah!" Peter exclaimed, "Of course, I'd love to."

"Love to what?" A different voice spoke up. Both of them looked in front of them to see one of the guidance teachers standing there with her arms crossed. "Where have you two been?" It was Mrs. Hannon, she had a scowl on her face like she'd been having a bad day. 

"Uhhhhh," Peter couldn't quite think of what to say. 

"Our alarm clocks didn't go off!' Ned spoke up.

"Both of you?" Mrs. Hannon looked at them both in disapproval, turning and pointing to the spot in front of her. "Come on, let's go to the principal's office."

The two seventeen year olds shrugged at each other and walked to Mr. Stark's office with the teacher in tow. When they arrived, Mrs. Hannon thumped the door three times before Stark answered.

"Come in, the doors open!" He called. The very note of his voice hitting Peter's ears made him grin as butterflies filled up his stomach.

Mrs. Hannon opened the door and stood inside, "I'm sorry to bother you, Mr. Stark, I know you have your lunch meeting, but I found two students trying to sneak in at lunch after taking the first half of the day off." 

"Oh," Stark commented, sighing slightly. "Okay. Do you have them there?"

"I do,"

"Bring them in." 

Mrs. Hannon pushed the door open wide, "In you go, boys." She spoke as she pushed them inside. Peter walked in with Ned feeling extremely awkward beside him. Stark looked up from his laptop and caught eyes with Peter, realising it was him. 

"You can leave, Jennifer." The principle told the guidance teacher. "I've got this." 

She nodded and took her leave, and as soon as the door closed, he turned his attention to the boys. "Take a seat guys," he said in a friendly tone. 

Ned looked confused, looking at Peter, who was smiling and pulled a seat out to sit in it. His best friend copied him and sat nervously, fiddling with his fingers.

"So, skiving school, huh?" Mr. Stark asked as he leaned back in his chair, raising his eyebrows up. "That's not like you two."

Ned broke into apologises as he felt so terrible about it. "I am so sorry, Mr. Stark! It was my fault, I convinced Peter to stay back. I needed to talk to him about something personal and he's the only one I trust and I've never done it before ever in my life! Please don't call my mom!" 

Peter stared at Ned with a frown, feeling bad how his friend just cracked under no pressure at all. But at least he kept the secret.

Mr. Stark smiled and leaned forward on his elbows, "I'm not going to call your mother, this is the first thing you've ever done wrong, Mr. Leeds, thank you for apologising." He smiled, "If you are in need of a councillor at the school I can set you up with one, you don't have to answer right now, just think about it."

Ned nodded, his face red with embarrassment. "Okay, thank you sir." 

"You're welcome, now, if you would like to head off for lunch. You have two more classes today," The principle smiled at them both to signify the end of the conversation. 

Peter stayed behind as Ned scuttered off to lunch, leaving the younger man alone with his man. Peter sat watching him, chewing on his bottom lip. 

"Hey, you." Tony spoke softly, a smile spreading on his face. "Care to lock the door and come over here?"

The younger man jumped from his seat and did as he was told, walking over to the other side of the desk and sitting on it. Tony pulled his seat closer to the desk, grinning up at Peter as he sat at his legs. 

"Hey," Peter blushed, "I missed you."

"You did?" Tony raised an eyebrow, "I missed you too." His hands found Peter's and brought one to his mouth to lay a soft kiss upon. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, everything's good." The younger man blushed, "I can't believe I'm yours."

Mr. Stark chuckled, "And you're mine," he kissed the other hand. "Come sit on my lap and tell me about your day."

Peter climbed onto him, wrapping his legs around the seat as he sat on his thighs. Tony's fingers gently stroked Peter's jawline with one hand as the other hand held the younger mans. The younger man closed his eyes and breathed calmly, he felt like he was in heaven again. The older man smelled so amazing and made him feel so safe and warm. 

"We were at the park," Peter confessed, "We sat and talked for ages. I had no idea we had been there for so long."

"Mmm," Tony hummed in delight as he watched Peter's happy face. "And did you tell him everything?"

Peter bit down on his lip, "Would you hate me if I said yes?" He asked in a quiet voice as his hands played with Tony's collar. 

The older man shook his head, "No, you need someone to talk to about this. You can't be asked to keep it from everyone. Is Ned okay or do I have to worry?"

"He's fine, as long as I'm fine." 

"Well then, I had better not upset my angel." 

Tony replied as he raised his head up and captured Peter in a sweet kiss. They melted in each other's arms as they moved their lips together, soft and sweet before Peter opened up the kiss. Tony let him do as he wanted, pulling on his collar as he shoved his tongue down his principal's throat, moaning into the kiss. He felt the older man's hand hold his waist as they made out. 

When Mr. Stark could feel the younger man getting hard, he broke the kiss and rested their foreheads together. 

"You're enchanting, little one." He whispered in a deep voice. "But we can't do anything here,"

Peter huffed and tilted his head, kissing Tony's cheek. "But what if we just do a little?" He wiggled his hips, "What if we just kiss a lot?"

The older man put his head in Peter's neck and chuckled, his voice vibrating against his skin. "You make me feel so young, Petie. I'm so glad we are what we are." 

"Speaking of which," Peter sat up, looking him in the eyes as he softly stroked at his hair. "What are we?"

Tony furrowed his eyebrows, "What do you mean?" 

Peter scoffed, "You KNOW what I mean, Tony. What do you class me as? Your boyfriend? Your mistress? Your bit on the side?"

He felt Mr. Stark softly stroke his back, as he looked deep into his eyes. There was no confusion on the older man's face, he seemed so serene and happy as he watched him. "You honestly don't know?" 

The younger man shook his head.

"You're mine." He whispered slowly and adoringly. "You're my boyfriend, my sweet and beautiful boy." Peter's face lit up. His eyes filled up with love and hope as he grinned widely. 

Tony continued to talk, "Honey, when the time is right. I'm yours forever, don't forget that my sweet."

"I love you so much," Peter told him, rubbing their noses together. "I can't believe you're my boyfriend." 

The principal smirked as he hugged Peter closely. "Me neither, I have such a pretty boyfriend. Am I your first boyfriend?"

Peter nodded, "Yeah, you're my first everything."

"You're my first boyfriend too," Tony told him, kissing his cheek. "And hopefully my last if we play our cards right from here." 

Peter blushed as he sat back and looked at him adoringly. "So… uh, did you, uhm, move Stephanie's class?"

Tony nodded. "I did! She's in Miss McGreggor's class now, just like I said." He confirmed, "Does that make you feel better?"

The younger man nodded, "It dooooes," he smiled before kissing him softly again. "You always make me feel better."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tend to wait until there's 5 comments before I post another chapter lol, I hope you're enjoying this, I have many in the works and a FANTASTIC full plot line for this one 💖
> 
> Stay tuned for more! Also starker priv on twitter js sulphuriccherry if you haven't followed already, we can interact whenever! Dms are always open


	12. Spying

The two of them couldn't be happier sneaking around for the next few days, trying to keep themselves a secret. There were times when Tony couldn't help himself and pushed Peter up against closed doors, kissing him hard and lovingly as they softly moaned into each other's mouths. 

Peter was in fucking heaven, he loved every moment of it. He was counting down the days until Pepper left again, hoping that he could go back to his boyfriends and learn more things, maybe learn to ride him?

He was obsessed with his teacher. They began texting that week, but after every conversation, the texts were deleted. It began at 3am when Tony texted first, telling Peter he loved him. 

Thursday came around when Tony found out that the New York Poetry Guild was opening up a competition between the high schools in the state. Each school would compete, and the winners would be put up in a hotel for an all weekend poetry competition.

This was a fantastic opportunity for all of them, especially for the school. He knew that there were many talented students, but he was mostly happy about his favourite student. The moment Tony found out, he told Peter, telling him to get his poems together as a heads up before he told the rest of the school. 

It was quite sad to see how many students actually volunteered for the competition, the turn out wasn't anything like he expected it to be. Mr. Stark had hoped for around twenty applicants, but only eight volunteered. 

Apparently poetry wasn't cool to teenagers, who knew? But Tony was very proud that Peter had put his name forward. However, he was less happy that the kid he tried to get rid of was joining the competition too.

"You're kidding?" Peter complained as he slouched in his chair, eating his food as Mr. Stark went through the list. He was sitting at his desk in the classroom, shaking his head at the list.

"Not kidding," Stark replied. "Stephanie is actually putting her poetry forward."

Peter rubbed his face, "Is she any good?" 

"She's okay?" Tony replied, putting down the paper and reaching for his sandwich. "She's nothing compared to some of the other applicants."

The younger man frowned and sat up, putting his feet on the ground. "Like who?!"

"Uhhh," Tony spoke as he picked up the list, skimming down it. "Let's see… there's…" he looked over to Peter with an amused face. "You."

Peter giggled and blushed, sitting back in his chair, "Thank you, Tony." He looked sweetly at him, "Do you think I can win?"

"Of course!" Tony retorted. "I mean, if you do win, it's a weekend away for you and a chaperone of your choice for the finals." He raised an eyebrow, "They put you up in a hotel…"

"Oooh," Peter raised his eyebrows. "Then I should definitely not let Stephanie win."

Tony chuckled, "If anyone else wins I'll be telling them I have a school to run and can't leave, and they can pick anyone else." 

"That's a very smart idea," 

"I happen to be full of them," Mr. Stark told him, "God, you're beautiful." He cooed, staring at the younger man's wonderful face. "Pepper's away for two days, she left this morning. Do you want to come over tomorrow?"

"Oh my god, yes!" Peter exclaimed in excitement. "I can't wait!"

And he couldn't wait. Knowing that Tony was alone in the house tonight made it so easy to decide that he was going to surprise him tonight. He couldn't wait to see the look on the man's face when he turned up with his favourite chocolates, ready to be loved.

Peter thought about it all the rest of the day, fondly staring at the older man during class, his heart happy knowing that in a few hours he would be kissing that body all over, and hopefully moaning over it and under it. Maybe they could try it against the wall or in the shower? 

The second school ended, Peter ran home to shower and make himself as enticing as possible. He wore tight black jeans, a tight white t-shirt and a denim jacket, with a bag of all the things Tony loved. 

The entire ride over there he was excited, dying to see his man again. It was always so hard trying to keep his hands off of the older man. It wasn't just the sex, but the feeling of mattering to someone. 

When the bus stopped he went down the street with a jump in his step, dying to see his man. But when he got to the house he saw that there was an extra car in front. 

Peter frowned, taking a few steps closer and trying to see who it could belong to. It normally wouldn't matter, but it was parked in the drive. He walked close to the house and peered into the front window, looking around the living room to see his man sorting out the CDs.

The younger man smiled as he watched Tony do his task, putting them into order with the cutest look on his face. But then a second person came into view, a shadow came up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist.

Peter frowned. He thought Pepper left this morning, but obviously not. Tony looked happy to see her, turning around with that big old grin on his face. He wrapped her arms around him too, and Peter felt like he was about to throw up.

Tony said something to make her laugh, and she pulled him in for a kiss. Peter felt like his heart was aching as he watched them kiss. Tony's hands were on the small of her back, leaning into her. 

Peter couldn't handle this anymore, he stood up from his hiding place and headed back up the road to get the next bus. The excitement had turned into dread and hate, jealousy and misery. He obviously knew that they would have to kiss, and yes, she WAS his wife.

But sadly that didn't make Peter feel any better. In fact, it made him feel worse. Like he didn't matter at all. Tony had looked so happy in her arms, his eyes lighting up just like they did when he was with him. 

He just wanted the older man all to himself?! Was that too much to ask for?! He could hardly breathe every time he thought about it.   
And it's not like Peter could really complain about any of it, because they had an agreement, and he was warned that this would happen. 

When he got home, he slumped in his desk chair, staring at the many poems that were scattered about his paperwork. All of them were inspired by the man he yearned for, the man he was desperate to be his.

Peter had a week to come up with his best poems to submit to Tony for approval. Apparently they had to read them out in front of other contestants and judges, which was nerve-wracking. But even though his heart hurt badly, all Peter wanted to do was make Tony proud.

\---

When the next day came around, Peter was very off-mood. Even Ned noticed it and tried to ask him what was going on, but Peter just shrugged and continued to pretend to listen to whatever class he was in. It was the most difficult when it came to Stark's class, because the older man was looking forward to seeing Peter. 

But Peter looked exhausted, and for the first time, he wasn't interested in class or paying attention. He made no effort to lift a pen, all he did was stare blankly at the floor, in emotional inner turmoil over what he was doing.

He was breaking up a marriage, and yes, he LOVED Tony with every fibre of his being, and he was never going to let him go. But it hurt, because he knew how Mrs. Stark would feel, and it's painful to see them together. 

When lunchtime came around, Peter made no hurry to get to Stark's classroom. When he got there, the note on the door said they were having lunch in the office instead. So Peter schlepped himself there instead, softly knocking on the door.

"Come on in," The Principal called out to him. 

Peter pushed the door open and walked in, closing it softly behind him and leaning against it. He locked it as he looked over at Tony, admiring his beautiful structure. 

"Hey, sweetie," Tony smiled, "What's wrong? You seemed very non-peter-like in class today?" He stood up and walked around to the other side of his desk, perching on it and placing his hands on the edge.

The younger man slumped and looked down at the carpet, making a face like a sad, half smile before shaking his head. He opened his mouth to speak but he didn't know what to say. 

"Peter?" The older man cocked his head, "Honey, what's going on?"

Peter looked up at him with sad eyes, "I was at your house last night." He confessed with a solemn tone. "I wanted to surprise you… I put together the leftovers of the money we had and bought you your favourite foods."

Tony's face went into realisation and then to sadness. Well, it was more like pity or sympathy really. "What did you see?"

Peter's voice was very quiet as he spoke softly. "I saw you… being happy with her. Your arms around her as you kissed her. You… you look at her like you look at me."

Stark nodded, pushing himself to a standing as he walked forward a little, opening his arms up. "Come here,"

The younger man didn't want to because he was trying to be strong, but he couldn't resist being near his boyfriend. All he wanted was to feel okay, so he made his way as fast as he could into the older man's arms, snuggling into him like they had done many times before.

"Pepper missed her flight," Tony kissed his hair, breathing him in as he held him lovingly. "She was going to get the next one but decided to cancel the trip instead, so she came home."

Peter nodded, eyes closed as he continued to let himself be surrounded by Tony's scent. 

"Peter, I need you to listen to me." He stroked Peter's back, kissing his hair again. "Because this is important that you understand… What we're doing here? It's illegal. It's against all the rules, it's against my vows."

Tony let his hands gently sit on the small of Peter's back, softly rubbing his fingers in circles. "I'm married, and I need to keep up appearances. I love her, but not nearly enough as I love you." He whispered, "I'm not in love with her, you're my boy remember?" 

Peter nodded, "I know," he replied with a tone of insecurity. "It just hurts, I… I want you to be mine."

Tony pulled back, placing one hand under Peter's perfectly soft chin and tilted it up so their eyes met. "I am yours." He whispered with the sweetest playing on his lips. "My heart is yours, my body is yours. And when you turn eighteen, things will be different. You'll leave the school, and I'll leave Pepper, and then you'll have me all to yourself."

"You promise?" Peter asked, his lips wobbling as he stared up at him. 

Mr. Stark grinned and nodded, "I double promise, love. Just know, that every moment I'm not with you… I'm thinking about you."

Peter blushed and finally broke out in a grin, "I'm always thinking about you too. And it's only three months until I turn eighteen!"

"Oohh, is it?"

Peter nodded, "Does that change anything? I mean… about how you said you'd leave your wife… will you leave her in three months?" He peered up at him with wide, innocent and scared eyes. 

The older man took a deep breathe in, staring down at Peter's face. He never lied to Peter. Not once. There's a different beat to his heart when Tony thought about him. Since they met, he's felt like a new man, and with it came a new dream for life.

It's been a quick courtship, but a meaningful one. And when he lay in bed at night next to his wife, his mind drifted to his Peter. Was Peter okay? Was he eating? Was he thinking about him? The dream he once had of growing old with Pepper, it never felt like something he wanted, but something he was MEANT to want. But Peter… This turn of events was the first time where he knew what he wanted. 

The principal let a loving smile crawl onto his face, truly feeling his heart glow as he watched the younger man's anticipation. Holding him close, he knew that there was nothing else he could say apart from what he knew. Right in that moment. He was too far gone.

Peter was beguiling. Enchanting. Inciting. And the most perfect person he'd ever met.

"Yes." Tony whispered, stroking Peter's face. "Yes, Peter. I'll leave her, and when I find a place to stay, you're coming with me."

The younger man could hardly contain his happiness, he jumped up and wrapped his arms around Tony, capturing him in a kiss. The older man moaned in satisfaction as he pulled Peter closer by his waist and kissed him lovingly. 

Peter opened up the kiss, but this time Tony didn't seem to mind. He let their tongues massage each other as they were locked in their embrace. The older man led them closer to the wall, pushing Peter against it. 

"I love you," Tony whispered as he kissed Peter's jaw. "I am so in love with you, Petie-pie." 

The younger man held onto his hair, as he rested his head against the wall, eyes closed as he let himself feel the older man's experienced mouth attached to his skin. "I love you too," Peter whispered, "Will we be interrupted?"

Tony shook his head, "No baby, we have time." He whispered against his skin, "Time to get you off."

Just the sound of the husky voice in his ear, telling him he was going to be getting him off, made Peter melt in the best way. He bit his lip as he felt the older man's hand slip between them and rub him through his trousers, making him hard almost instantly. 

Peter moaned, trying not to be too loud as Tony fit against him, pressing against his chest and rubbing him slowly. "My Petie," 

The principal grabbed Peter's hips and lifted him up onto the shelf behind him, kissing him still and growling. The younger man gasped as he felt himself being manhandled, his cock throbbing under its confines as he felt the older man rub against it. 

"What about you?" Peter whispered in the older man's ear as he pulled his hair and used his teeth to play with Tony's earlobe. 

"Can't do me here babyboy, I'm too loud and I take too long, but you…" the older man pulled back and stared up at Peter with a dirty smirk on his face and a glint in his eyes. "You need cheering up."

Peter whined, breathing deeply as his innocent eyes gazed at him. "Daddy," the whisper left his lips as he put his hand on his cock, rubbing it. 

Tony began to whisper, using a low and gravy voice, one that made Peter's entire body shiver with desire and anticipation. "You have to be quiet, baby boy. Daddy can't have you screaming and getting us in trouble, now, can he?" He raised his eyebrow.

Peter shook his head, squeezing his mouth shut as he leaned back, pushing his hips up as an indication for Tony to touch. Mr. Stark chuckled deeply, "Sweet boy." He dropped his hands to Peter's trousers, popping the button open and unzipping it. 

"Now." Tony said authoritatively. "I can't have cum stains anywhere, I can't risk my baby. So," he cleared his throat as he looked down to pull out Peter's beautiful cock into the open air.

The poor thing was pulsing with need, the need to be touched. Mr. Stark spat on his hand and wrapped it around Peter's cock, making the younger man gasp. "Uh uh, I said no noise. You don't wanna make daddy mad now do you?"

Peter bit his lip, his cheeks red as he shook his head.

"Good boy. Daddy's going to touch you for a few minutes, and you're going to tell me very… very quietly when you're going to cum. Understood?"

The younger man nodded, his breathing getting more heavy as he felt the older man gently stroke his wanting cock from top to bottom. Tony watched him, studied him in all his beauty. As he looked into the eyes of his younger boyfriend, he knew that he was never going to find someone he wanted more than him. 

"Good boy," Stark commented quietly. "You like it when Daddy does this to you?"

Peter nodded, desperate to make a noise as his body twitched and ached. He was practically frantic with motion as Tony's hand got faster. Just the noise of the hand movement and breathing was all that was left. Tony was staring at Peter's eyes, connecting with him on a deeper level.

"Fuck," Peter whispered, one hand sliding up his chest to pinch his own nipple.

Tony pulled his hand away, making Peter whine. "Daddy said no talking unless to warn him." He reminded him. "You have one more chance, okay?"

Peter nodded, frowning as he needed this orgasm more than anything. He loved this, being manhandled and controlled, he loved the student / teacher of it all, the daddy / baby, the boyfriends, the caring and love, the intimacy and the passion. Tony was his rock emotionally, romantically and physically. 

The older man resumed his movements, jerking Peter off. Of course, Tony's cock was throbbing under his trousers, but there was NO way he would be touching himself. He would have to just let it go down after this, try to think of anything besides his sexy boy right here.

"That's it," Tony whispered, watching Peter squirm, his thighs parting wider. He held his other hand massage Peter's perfect balls, noticing how Peter's mouth hung open as he gasped under his touch.

"You close?"

Peter shook his head, arching his back slightly. Tony decided to step it up and rubbed his thumb over the slit of Peter's cock, nearly making Peter cry out. But he daren't make a single sound. He needed this. Tony knew he needed his. 

Peter began to nodd, biting his lip again. 

"Tell me when you're close enough to cum," Mr. Stark whispered, "Tell me just before you decorate Daddy's hand with your exquisite cum."

Peter gasped, trying to keep his voice as quiet as possible, "Daddy I'm gonna -"

Tony removed his hand and wrapped his lips around Peter's cock, sucking obscenely as the younger man thrust up. It took ten seconds of this before Peter's fingers pulled at Tony's hair as he came hard down his principal's throat.

It took every piece of him not to make any noise, it was killing him, but he did it. Tony hummed softly around his cock, drinking him down before moving away. 

Peter was breathless and sweaty, and Tony loved it. He took it upon himself to redress the younger man and cuddle him until he calmed down. The younger man sighed against him, kissing his jaw softly. 

"You're my favourite person." Peter whispered. "Let's grab some lunch?"

"Okay baby," Tony grinned, stroking his back. "You're mine too, you know."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry I was silent for a week! I had to go and dogsit for my mother, more family shit went down but I'm home now!
> 
> Love you all! Remember to comment 
> 
> @sulphuriccherry on twitter


	13. A Treat

It was on the way to his second period of the day that Peter found himself running into her. Stephanie was hanging with her friends outside the bathroom, showing off her new shoes as her friends gushed over them. 

It was no understatement to say that she sort of ran the school. The girls wanted to be here, and the guys (the straight ones) wanted to be inside her. But Peter just saw her for what she actually was, ugly. She didn't care about anyone but herself, it was a surprise that she had friends at all.

Steph clocked Peter as he and Ned came into view. She held up her hand to her friends and told them to be quiet before walking over to Peter and stopped him dead in his tracks.

"What did you say to Mr. Stark?" She put her hands on her hips and raised her eyebrows at him.

Peter paused, not knowing whether to engage her in conversation or not. He looked to Ned who just shrugged. "What do you mean?" He played dumb.

"You know exactly what I mean. He had me removed from his class after you freaked out at me," she explained with an angry face. "I wanna know what you said."

"I didn't tell him anything. Maybe he just doesn't want a student coming onto him? Ever thought of that?" He said in a slightly cheeky voice. 

Steph clenched her jaw as she looked at him as if he were a piece of dirt. "You're such a freak. Nobody likes you, Peter. And just because you think you have a friend in the teachers, doesn't mean I won't take you down."

Peter stepped towards her, "Try me." He said in a quiet and angry voice. "The benefits of being friends with the teachers… is I have the higher ground."

She laughed in his face, going head to head with him. They didn't realise that everyone had stopped walking and were watching them both.

"When I win this competition, I'm going to prove to Mr. Stark how he can't live without a girl like me." Stephanie said in a threatening voice. 

"Good luck with that," Peter replied. "Because he is a man of fine things, and NOT a man who dumpster dives." 

Stephanie pushed him with force, making him take a few steps backwards. "Why do you care so much, Penis? Does he remind you of your dearest dead dad?""

"Hold it right there!" Ned shouted, getting in between them and facing Stephanie. "You DON'T get to make fun of his parents! At least his parents loved him, and didn't pay Nannies to raise him because they had better things to do like yours!"

The crowd of students reacted, some laughed and some gasped. Stephanie was on the war path, spitting down at Ned's feet. "And what the fuck do you have to do with this, fattie?"

"Hey!" Peter pushed Ned away, "Just because he doesn't look like you doesn't make him wrong. Fuck you, and fuck your shitty little crush on Mr. Stark! Your poetry is shitty and your personality is terrible!"

More sniggering and gasps from everyone else. 

"I bet you like him don't you!" Steph shouted, "You have a crush on the principal, because you're a gay little freak!"

"Don't make me laugh!" Peter tried to defend himself, terrified that his secret might be exposed. "I could have any girl I want, I could even have you if I lowered my standards!"

"Wanna bet?" Steph asked, changing the entire conversation into something extremely weird and uncomfortable. 

Ned and Peter looked at each other in confusion and then turned to her. "Uh, what?" 

"If I win the contest. You have to take me out on a date." She told him, "And if you win?"

Peter had absolutely no clue what the fuck was happening. Didn't Steph hate him? Or was she surprised that she had finally met her match? He didn't know what he wanted, but when he opened his mouth his brain knew exactly what to say.

"Then you have to apologise to me, Ned and Mr. Stark." He looked awkwardly at him.

Stephanie clenched her jaw and paused for a few moments. "Deal." She muttered, looking Peter up and down. She turned around and went back to her friends as everyone started to disperse from the area. 

Ned and Peter looked at each other, completely horrified from the entire conversation. There wasn't much talking, Ned put his hand on Peter's shoulder and they both looked back at Steph before looking at each other. 

"You have to win that contest." Ned told him, "No one deserves that fate."

\---

Luckily enough, for the fourth class of the day, the teacher was off ill and Mr. Stark was covering another class, so Peter had more time to go over his poetry. He couldn't quite decide which poem to put forward. 

They were either dark and depressing, about the loss of his family, or enlightening and gay. But he had no clue which the judges would like more, they both seemed too risky. All poetry was a piece of his soul, he couldn't write about things that he didn't feel or experience, but he felt he'd probably win if he did.

"What do you think?" Peter asked his best friend, handing over his notebook. "I really can't decide,"

Ned's eyes flicked over the pages, reading them over as he tried to decide. "Man… you are so talented." He complimented him. "I guess, if you pulled the parent card you might win out of sympathy, but also playing the gay card will get you an insclusive win." 

Peter scoffed in half amusement, taking his notebook back. "So not based on my actual work then?"

"No, I meant," Ned butted in. "They are both so good, that any of them could win, so you should pick the one that's got more impact."

Peter looked over them and shrugged, "Yeah I guess. I'm just hoping that it'll be good enough. Maybe I should ask Tony what he thinks,"

Ned coughed and nudged him, "Mr. Stark, you mean."

"Oh yeah, sorry." Peter half smiled as he continued to look over his work. "It's not long now until the contest."

"Which day is it?" 

"Thursday! During third and fourth period, which is fine because whatever happens I can just escape during lunch. I've never read out my poems before…" 

Ned turned in his seat and looked at his best friend, realising how nervous he was. "Listen," he whispered. "Mr. Stark is going to be in the audience, right?"

Peter nodded as a reply. 

"Then just read it to him. Whatever nerves you're feeling, just focus on him. Can you do that?" Ned asked him sincerely. 

That was actually extremely helpful, just pretending nothing else in the world except them. He would just open his soul and pretend like it wasn't all for him.

"I can do that," Peter grinned, leaning back in his seat. "I can definitely do that."

\---

When Peter got home, May was taking her break at the apartment, reading a book at the dinner table as she ate. She looked up to see her favourite person walking into the room.

"Heeeyyy!" May grinned, "There he is! I feel like we haven't spent any time together lately."

Peter dropped his bag on the floor and walked over to her, giving her a hug. "I know, it's just a bit crazy at the moment." He kissed her on the forehead. "Do we have any oreos?"

"Top shelf," she smiled as she watched him retrieve them. "So, is there anything going on at school? How's Ned?"

Peter spun around on his heels. "Actually," he smiled as he walked over and pulled out a seat at the table. "So much has happened, do you remember that girl who bullies everyone?"

May nodded, "Of course, Sucky Steph, you know her father's having an affair with Crystal at the diner!"

The younger man laughed in shock, "Wow! Well, she was making fun of me for not having mom and dad around,"

"She WHAT?" May exclaimed in anger, "That little witch! Are you okay? Do you want me to call the principal?"

"No!" Peter interjected, "I mean, it's okay, just, I have more to say. She then called Ned fat, and called me gay."

May put her hand up to signify she was about to speak. "I don't care what you are, Peter, as long as you're happy."

Peter smiled, holding her hand and squeezing it. "I know, May. Thank you, but she found out I put my name forward for a poetry competition -"

His aunt's face lit up with happiness and surprise, "You're doing a poetry competition! Oh my god sweetie! I'm so proud! Can I come?"

The younger man smiled fondly, this always happened, it was so hard to get through an actual conversation with her, she wanted to know absolutely everything. May was always his number one fan, whatever he did. Peter was sure that she didn't even know he wrote poetry, but her enthusiasm was welcome support.

"I'll have to ask the teachers, but I'm sure you can." He smiled, "But I'm not finished the story yet!"

"Oh! Okay, sorry." May laughed before closing her mouth shut to show she wasn't going to interrupt anymore.

"So, Steph is doing the contest too, and she bet me that if she wins… get this… I have to take HER out on a date!" Peter exclaimed, his entire face exhilarated by the importance of this gossip.

May gasped loudly, covering her mouth. "No way?! She's had a thing for you all this time?! Sucky Steph?"

"Apparently!" Peter laughed, gesturing widely with his arms as he shook his head. "It doesn't make any sense!"

His aunt sat for a moment and tried to think about it, but it was just such a turn of events she had no idea how to take it. She looked up at her nephew, "You don't like her… right?"

"Oh god no," Peter replied almost instantly. "I'm gay, I'm so not into her." He said without thinking. Peter looked at her, waiting for something to happen. 

That was the first time Peter had ever said it, the very second it came out of his mouth it felt like a really odd sense of excitement and endorphins. He got a shiver all over his body as he felt himself feel like he was on a rollercoaster. 

The nerves were killing him, this was the first coming out of many. But he knew this would he a good one.

May turned to him with a sweet smile and tilted her head. "Pete, as long as you don't end up with Sucky Steph, I don't care who you date." 

They both laughed together before sharing a hug. Peter felt amazing, like it was the best thing that could've happened. He couldn't wait to tell Tony! 

After May went back to work, he picked up his phone and called his boyfriend, dancing around the apartment because he felt that free. 

"Hello?" Tony's wonderful voice answered.

"Hey! Whatcha doing right now?" Peter asked with a grin, twirling around. 

Tony laughed, "Somebody sounds happy! I am just leaving the office. I had a lot of after school paperwork to do today, how come?"

"Come to mine."

"Yours?" Tony asked with a happy tone. "Is May out?"

"Mhm," Peter replied, "She's out for five hours, double shift today. And I'm all alone. I know it's not exactly, like, a palace here. But I'm here?"

The older man hummed, "That sounds good. Anywhere with you in it is perfect to me, I need to go shopping so maybe you want to come with me? I can get you some presents?"

Peter bit his lip as he collapsed on the sofa. "Presents?"

"I want to spoil you, is that okay?"

"Of course!" Peter grinned as he blushed hard. "Just… what if someone sees us?"

He could hear Tony locking up his office door and then walking down the hallways towards the front door of the school. "We can go out of town? We could just pretend that we are two people who ran into each other."

"Meet me outside?" 

"I'll see you in five, sweetheart." Tony spoke as he unlocked his car, "Be ready."

So the younger man jumped up and ran to get himself changed, slipping into his best fitting jeans and a blue shirt, before grabbing his bag and locking up.

When Tony turned up, Peter jumped right in and they drove off before anyone could see them. Tony's hand went down to hold Peter's for a few moments, squeezing it. "Hey beautiful,"

"Hey," Peter looked up at him with a dreamy grin, his head leaning against the headrest.

On the way to the mall, Peter told Tony everything about Stephanie and accidently coming out to May. The older man was extremely taken back by all this news, but was extremely proud of his boyfriend. 

That was a really brave thing to do, and he knew that he was going to have to do that himself, one day soon even. But he was extremely nervous about that. If Peter could do it, then so could Tony. 

They drove for a while until they found a mall, and parked in the parking lot. Before they got out, Tony locked the doors and unbuckled his seatbelt. "Come here,"

Peter squealed with glee as he climbed onto the older man's lap, putting his knees around him and pulling him in by his shirt. Tony chuckled as he held onto Peter's hips, connecting their lips in an excited kiss. 

Peter was on him hard, pulling him impossibly close and snogging him deeply. He opened it up and bit down on Tony's bottom lip, making him groan. The older man shoved his tongue into Peter's mouth, tasting him and thoroughly enjoying himself. 

If they were anywhere else, he'd be wanting the younger man to ride him right here and now. But it was daylight and they were sort of in public. "Baby," he whispered against Peter's lips. "Baby, baby, baby," he smirked, "Let's go get you some presents."

\---

Shopping with Tony was really fun. Firstly, the older man had to go and get himself some new shirt, which of course Peter didn't mind because he got to sit in the dressing rooms and watch him change in the reflection of the mirror by the open curtain. He didn't even care that he was living in a fantasy world, he loved being here with Tony.

The older man walked with him around the mall, stopping into clothes shops and household item shops. "Put whatever you want in the cart," Tony smiled, "Get stuff for your flat and you can surprise May."

Peter furrowed his brows but wore a wide smile, "Really? What will I tell May?"

Tony smirked as he picked up a picture frame from one of the shelves, "Christmas came early? Come on babe," he whispered the last part. "Let me do this for you."

There was no sense in arguing with the man, he wanted to make Tony happy, so he picked up a few things here and there. A few blankets, cushions for the sofa, a new set of cutlery (they only had one spoon back at home, they had no idea where they disappeared to). Tony also got him some clothes, and some food for the house. 

He didn't mind of course, he rather enjoyed having someone to spoil. You see, Pepper had a high paying job so she bought what she wanted, when she wanted it. So he wasn't really able to spoil her, but Peter was his baby and he loved that dynamic.

Tony left Peter in the clothes aisle so he could go and scope out a present for him.   
Peter wasn't used to being spoiled, in fact, every single thing he put in the cart made him feel guilty, but Tony never batted an eye. He kept insisting he put more in. 

When Tony arrived back at him, twenty minutes later, he looked over the cart. "Is this it, Petie?" 

The younger man gaped, "That's, that's a lot though!" 

Tony chuckled, "I have a present for you in the back of the car. We have clothes, stuff for the apartment, let's get something for May and then fill up the cupboards. I'll even come in and help you put it all away. Do you have bedding?"

"Uh, I have a duvet and two pillows, and one set of sheets." 

"Okay, double bed right? I'll grab you two more pillows and another set." Tony stroked Peter's face, "Are you okay with me doing this? It's not too much?"

Peter pulled him behind a rack of clothing and kissed him softly for a few moments before pulling away. "I don't know what to say," Peter whispered, "But, are you sure you can afford this?"

The older man nodded. "I am, and I'll tell you why when we get back to yours." He grinned, gently holding Peter's waist. "Now, think about what type of food you guys need, and I'll grab your bedding."

Peter knew he should have felt bad but he didn't. When they got to the car, Peter was instructed not to look back, which was killing him because he was dying to know what it was. Both of them carried the food upstairs, obviously with Mr. Stark wearing a low cap. Peter put away the food as Tony brought everything else up.

When he actually entered the apartment, he noticed what Peter meant when he said the place needed fixed up. He stood amongst the bags and peered around, noticing leaks, chipped paint, slightly crooked windows. There was a draft coming through, and a hole in the curtains.

He turned around to Peter. "Sweetie?" He asked, getting his attention. "How long until May is home?"

Peter checked his watch, "Uhh, three hours? That's until her shift ends, she'll probably take twenty minutes to get here."

Tony nodded, thinking as he stepped over the bags. "Do you mind if I go and get something? I'll be right back. Leave everything where it is, maybe you could make us a little snack?"

Peter looked at him confusedly but smiled nonetheless. "Oookaaay?" He replied slowly. "Anything in particular?"

The older man walked over to him and held his face, leaning down and kissing him softly. "Anything you want," he whispered, staring down into Peter's big brown eyes. "Is fine with me."

\---

When Tony returned, it had only been fifteen to twenty minutes, and Peter had made them a selection of sandwiches and fruit salad. He also set out some cheese, ham and crackers. Tony had spent a LOT of money on them! He could hardly close the fridge or the freezer, which Peter had never seen before in his life. 

"Honey, I'm home!" Tony greeted him with a smile, a tool box under one arm, a tub of paint and a paintbrush in his hand and some new curtains of the same colour under his other arm. 

"What the hell?" Peter asked, "Are you moving in?" He laughed, walking over towards him and taking the curtains from him. "Where the hell are you getting all this money from? And why are you spending it on me?"

Tony put everything down and walked to Peter, smoothing his hands down his back. "Jump up," he smiled, helping Peter to jump and wrap around him. 

The older man smiled as he held Peter against him, holding his ass as he begged for a kiss. Peter kissed him lovingly for a few moments before pulling away, "Tell me."

"Well," Tony started. "I remember how much you said you loved my poetry, so I went to a different publisher to see what they thought."

Peter's face lit up, "And?"

"They're going to publish it!" Stark exclaimed excitedly, "And they were so happy to sign me up, they gave me an advance. And who better to spend it on than you?"

The younger man felt extremely touched, diving in for another kiss and holding Tony's hair. The older man moaned and pushed Peter up against the wall, his hands sliding up the younger man's body, covering him with his own like he was protecting him. 

The kiss got softer as Peter stroked his hair, letting them just enjoy the moment. They stayed there, kissing sweetly for a few minutes. 

"Let's get this place sorted?" Peter asked as he rested their heads together.

"Sounds good to me."

\---

Doing domestic stuff with Tony was amazing. Every time he looked over, he was the older man with rolled up sleeves, painting the wall over the cracks and chips. Tony was adamant to make it perfect, fitting the curtains himself. 

Peter was on finishing touches duty, sorting out the bedding, the pillows, the coasters and other stuff. He couldn't help but keep a smile on his face, knowing that the older man cared enough to give up his evening and money for him. 

"You really do like me don't you?" Peter mused as he wiped over the coffee table after polishing it. 

Tony looked down at him from atop a chair, sorting out the curtains. "I really fucking do," he smirled, winking at him. "I've never felt this way before."

The younger man blushed, "Really? Not once?"

Stark finished what he was doing as he spoke. "Not once, Peter. It's weird, but I just connect with you on such a deep level that I've never been able before." He explained, putting the pole back up. "I want to be here with you. When you called, I was thinking about calling you and asking to see you."

"I love you." Peter told him honestly, "Not because of the money, or your talent, even if you were broke and a bad writer I'd still love you." 

The older man chuckled as he finished up and climbed down, putting the chair away. "That's good, because I'd still like you even if you were older and bad at writing."

Peter giggled as he sat on the arm of the sofa, "Looks like we're all done," he reached out his hand for Tony to take his hand. "May will think she's walked into a new home."

Tony nodded, "She will. Now, you go into the bedroom and sort out your bedsheets, I'm going to tighten the windows and fix the lock on the front door, I've stopped the leak already. Then we have one hour left,"

"And what will we do in this one hour?" Peter asked, his hands gently sitting on Tony's ass as his mouth hovered over his crotch. "Maybe we can bless the new sheets?"

Tony laughed, "Yes baby, and I'll give you your present." 

Peter jumped up and kissed him on the cheek, "You're the best! Okay, I'll get the bedroom ready!" He grinned, kissing him again before running through.

The older man found happiness in doing all of this for Peter. It made him feel like he was worth something to someone again, and also there was a little voice in his head saying that this will bode well for him when May finds out about their relationship. 

He was used to working with his hands, from his first job during college. He used to work at a car mechanic, and then worked as a handyman for a while. So this was all like second nature to him. 

When Peter heard a knock on his bedroom door, he had changed the bed sheets and made the bed, cleaned the room up, put away his new clothes along with the various other things Tony got him. 

He frowned as he opened the bag and saw a collection of classic DVDs that he had told Tony he wanted to see. Peter didn't have a DVD player. They had a slightly working TV in the lounge area, but there wasn't any way he could watch these. He stacked them up on his shelf and sat on the bed, staring at them with a half smile. He undid his jeans to get changed, pushing them down and folding them over his chair. 

When the knock came, Peter jumped up and told Tony to come on in. The door opened and Tony appeared with a smile, "Would you like your present?"

Peter nodded eagerly, "Yes please!"

"Okay," Tony bit his lip, trying to contain his excitement. "Close your eyes okay?" 

The younger man did as he was told, and Tony pulled a box in, putting it across from Peter's bed and moving the things from the top of his chest of drawers onto the shelf beside it. 

"Keep them closed!" Tony laughed as he watched Peter nervously bounce up and down. He put the smaller box on top of it and walked to Peter, holding his hands and kissing his forehead softly. 

"Open them,"

As Peter slowly opened his eyes, he realised that Tony had bought him something he had wanted forever. He was utterly speechless, his mouth open as his eyes filled up with tears. "T… tony…" he whispered as he walked over to sit at the edge of his bed, his hands stroking the box. 

"Tony, you got me a TV and Dvd player?" He looked up at the older man. 

Tony had never seen someone look so touched in his life, it was pure awe and emotion. Peter's chin was quivering as he breathed in deeply, "Tony…"

The man in question got down on his knees and pulled Peter to sit facing him, his hands touching his jaw. "I want you to have everything that you deserve. And I'm sorry if it's too much. I just love you so much, I want to save you."

Peter internalised the words. Save you. He breathed out, "Save me?" He repeated. "No one has ever wanted to save me."

"I do." Tony kissed his hand. "I want to do for you what you've done for me?"

"How did I save you?"

Tony leaned up, spreading Peter's legs slightly so he could fit inside. He brought them face to face as he smiled, "You taught me real love, you helped me realise who I am, and go back to my poetry. And now, we're even."

Peter giggled, rubbing their noses together as he whispered. "Not yet," he licked his lips. "Maybe once we've blessed the sheets?"

A dirty smirk played over Tony's lips as he stroked Peter's outer thighs, leaning his face in closer. "Oooh, that sounds fun, now, doesn't it?" He laid a gentle kiss on Peter's lips and looked into his eyes. "What would you like to do?"

The younger man threaded his fingers into his partner's hair, holding it tightly. "I…" he smirked as he blushed. "I wanna taste you again. Can I?" He batted his eyes. "Please?"

The older man chuckled and nodded, "I'd like that very much, where do you want me?"

Peter moved in and captured in him a dirty kiss as he tightened his hand in his hair, making Tony groan. He let his tongue slip into his teacher's mouth, taking over the situation. He maneuvered his head, deepening the kiss as he felt the older man melt at his touches. 

"I wanna get on my knees for you," Peter whispered against his lips. "Stand up."

Tony did exactly as he was told, standing up straight and holding onto the furniture behind him to steady him. Peter licked his lips and looked up and down, eyes drawn to Tony's. The older man watched as his student stood up and then dropped to his knees, pressing his face into his crotch. Tony cooed at him as he stroked Peter's curly hair, watching and feeling him gently stroke his legs as he nuzzled at his cock. 

Everything Peter did was such a turn on, especially the fact that Peter enjoyed it. Tony didn't have to ask him to do these things, or to adore him, or to want him in this way. Peter did that all on his own and it felt amazing. 

He felt his student's fingers fumble at his trousers, undoing them and sliding them down his hips along with his underwear. Peter groaned at the sight of his cock.

"You've seen it before, baby." Tony smirked, tugging at his curls. 

"I know," Peter blushed, licking his lips and glancing up at him. "You're just really hot," he placed his hands on Tony's strong thighs and leaned over to kiss the hardening cock in front of him. He loved this. He loved being able to taste Tony and make him feel amazing, and it was his goal to keep doing it as much as possible.

Tony let his eyes close as he felt the warmth of Peter's wet mouth form around his cock, daring to go down further than before. He let his mouth hang open as he felt Peter begin to suck, bobbing his head slowly, lathering him up with saliva as one hand massaged his balls and the other one squeezed one of his perfect ass cheeks. 

"Pete…" Tony moaned in a whisper, listening to the younger man's obscene noises. "My boy," 

Peter continued to work harder gradually, until he had Tony rolling his hips along with his movements, moaning and praising him. The younger man used his tongue to massage the slit of his cock, enjoying every moment of feeling the older man come undone.

"Yesss, come on baby, you're making me feel so good. You like this don't you? Huh? Making your daddy happy?"

Peter whined in reply as he doubled down, eager to taste him once more.

"Oooohhh fuck!" Tony groaned before he let out a little chuckle in pleasure. "I love you like this, so pretty, so eager to please, I wanna make you cum after this baby - ah fuck, I wanna use my hand and make you cum all over me! P… please baby boy,"

Peter started to jack off the base of Tony's cock into his mouth as he worked on the head, drawing out his orgasm. He noticed how before Tony was going to cum, the hand tightened in his hair, and his legs went a little weaker. He loved this part. 

"Fuck… shit… oh yeah… that's… baby… I'm gonna… FUCK!" Tony cried out as he thrust into the younger man's throat and came hard down it. Peter was moaning satisfactorily, drinking him down and doing so with pleasure. 

After Peter pulled his mouth away, the older man stared down at him, flushed and extremely happy. "Can I man handle you a little?" He asked in a whisper, his eyes on fire as he waited for Peter's reaction.

Peter nodded, "I'd love that." He whispered back. 

Tony grabbed him by the arm and pulled him to a stand, going straight to unbutton his trousers and shove them down to his ankles. He smirked at Peter before pushing the younger man back onto the bed, watching him lay there with his clothed cock bouncing and begging to be touched. 

Peter was the most beautiful and perfect person he'd ever seen. 

Without a thought, he climbed onto the bed and ontop of Peter, letting his hand go down the younger man's body and squeezing his cock gently through his underwear.

"Ohfuuuuu-" was all that Peter was able to get out before the older man covered his lips with his own. As Tony made out with the younger man, he slipped his hand into his boxers, connecting his hand with Peter's cock.

Peter moaned into the kiss, already rutting against his teacher's hand. Tony began to jerk him off, massaging his new favourite body part, desperate to make Peter cum. The younger man was whimpering and shaking with want as they moved themselves in rhythm. 

"D… oh my god… daddy," Peter bit down on his lip and looked up sinfully at the older man, his skin turning pink. "Am I pretty, daddy?"

Tony chuckled, working his hand faster. "So pretty my baby, Daddy's pretty boy. Oh I can't believe how perfect you are… Do you want to cum for me? Come on baby,"

Peter nodded, "Please, tell me I can cum!" 

The older man gave him a few more strokes before allowing him, he wanted to watch how his face twitched and changed in pleasure. "You can cum, angel." He growled in Peter's ear.

Seconds later, Peter came, crying out with his lover's name on his lips. His cum splattered over Tony's hand as he miked him until it was over. 

Both of them cuddled into each other on the bed, both wearing smiles with their trousers still wrapped around their ankles. Peter pulled him in for a soft kiss, a sweet one. One that said 'thank you for being you, for loving me.' Tony must have understood that, because he kissed him back so tenderly. 

\---

Before Tony left Peter's apartment, they stood in each other's arms, kissing softly against the wall. They didn't want to leave each other, it was how teenagers act in the movies. Peter was sure that this was forever, his hands gently wrapped around Tony's neck. 

It was weird how much things seemed to get better when they were together, like their shared trauma hurt less when they were in the safety of each other's embrace. Tony never felt more fire in his soul than he did since meeting Peter. He felt more complete than ever before. 

"I love you, Mr. Parker." Stark whispered against his lips, "I always will."

Peter leaned against the doorway as he watched Tony walk away, turning back to smile at him.

"I love you too, Mr. Stark." He replied dreamily. 


	14. School Contest

Peter was watching TV in his room when he heard May come through the door, begin to call for him and then fall silent. He smirked as he got out of bed and walked out of his room. He found his Aunt standing there with confusion on her face as she looked around the place.

"Uh… Peter?" May asked, moving her long hair behind her ear as she peered around her apartment. "Peter, honey? What happened in here?"

The young man raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms over his chest, looking around. "Don't you like it?"

May was shocked but had a smile on her face, "I… I love it?! But Peter, how?? You've fixed everything! I thought we were going to have to call someone in to fix that!" She turned to look at him. 

"I worked hard," Peter shrugged, a proud and knowing smile plastered on his face. "I got Ned to help me, and we pooled our money together, his mother helped a little." Okay, Peter had gotten pretty good at lying. Normally he hated lying to May, but this lie was a necessity. 

His aunt had tears in her eyes as she walked over and hugged him tight, "Thank you so much, I can't believe I have such an amazing nephew."

"Hey," he hugged her back, "You've helped me so much, it's only fair that I help you back." Peter smiled, "This is my way of saying thank you. Did you see? There's no drafts from the windows anymore!" He explained as they pulled away from each other. 

May was ecstatic with all the new developments on the apartment. Just seeing her like this made Peter feel happier, knowing that he had finally done something that made her life easier. It's what she deserves to be honest, but 'the how' had to be kept a secret, or Tony's life would be ruined.

Three months away until Peter turns 18 and he can finally be with his man. He had no idea how everyone was going to react or what he was going to say, but he was going to be allowed to wake up every morning and see Tony. 

What a dream! That's what everyone he knew wanted, to be touched and loved by that man. 

And oh how Peter loved him. He spent the night unable to sleep, cuddled up into a pillow and smelling Tony on it, wishing it was him. He hadn't really checked the time, but he knew it was late. The skies were dark, and there was hardly any street noise, but he wanted to talk to his man nonetheless.

Peter - 'I miss you.'

He sat and watched his phone, hoping Tony was awake. His phone buzzed within a minute or less, which meant that Tony was either waiting on a text from him, or woke up just for him. 

Tony - 'Hey Sweetheart, I miss you too, can't sleep?'

Peter - 'Too happy. I'm thinking about you and the life we'll have when everything is over.'

He didn't know whether it was too much or he was going too far, but Tony did say that he meant Peter to be his forever. And Peter was overly in love with the man, so crazily head over heels in love. 

Tony - 'Yeah? What sort of life are you planning for us? I've been thinking about it too, but I'd like to hear your ideas.'

The younger man blushed as he dug his face into his pillow, his heart felt so happy knowing that his boyfriend felt the same about him. 

Peter - 'I see us in a nice house by a lake with the perfect inspiration for our writing. And we'd write together in the garden while all our pets enjoy the sun. And we'd love each other, all day every day. At night, we'll fall into bed together and enjoy ourselves and each other.'

Peter thought about these things a lot. He never really knew what he wanted from his life, well, there was one thing. To be happy. Which seemed to be hard in the beginning, but he really felt that Tony was going to be the one to make him happy forever.

Tony - 'Woah. Baby boy, that sounds amazing. Better than anything I could write, I'd love that.'

Peter - 'I can't wait, handsome! I love you so much, I just want to be with you all the time.'

Tony - 'I love you too, my beautiful one. I can't wait either, things will be okay for us, just you wait and see.'

\---

  
Thursday came about fast, and the contest day was finally here. Peter was a huge ball of anxiety and nerves, he wanted to run away and throw up! As he stood on the stage and looked through the curtains, he saw Mr. Stark and a few other teachers sitting in a row facing the stage with notebooks and pens on a shared table in front of them. 

Behind them, there were a few friends and family members of contest participants spread randomly throughout the room. Peter was ready to faint, his skin pale and his stomach turning. Stark would understand if he bolted right? He didn't want to disappoint the man, but his palms were sweating and his mouth was dry. 

As he peaked through again, holding his stomach, he saw the side door open and his Aunt walk in. May was hurrying to find a seat, obviously excited by the bright smile she was wearing. She stopped to talk to the head of the cooking classes department, and they laughed and smiled as he found her a seat, and she was obviously talking about her nephew. 

Peter closed his eyes. 

The two people who mattered most to him in the world (apart from Ned) were counting on him, and wanting to see him succeed. God, this was torture. 

"You're going to do okay," Tony's voice spoke out softly from behind him. Peter smiled and slowly turned around, looking up to see the comforting smile of his man. 

"You don't know that," Peter replied with a half smile, "I could be dreadful."

"I've read your poems, they are amazing." Stark stated, "Nothing about you is dreadful. But you look very nervous darling," 

Peter nodded, "Well," he shrugged. "May's here and everything, and she's never really heard my work, I don't want to embarrass myself, you know?"

Tony raised his eyebrows, "Oooh which one is she?" He asked as they opened the curtain a little to look.

"She's the lady in the green, talking to Chef Hogan." Peter whispered as they spied on them. 

"They really like each other, that's cute." Tony mused before stepping back and closing the material. "Listen, it's okay to be nervous. But remember, those words are yours, and only you know how to project them with the right emotions." He placed one hand on Peter's shoulder. "I believe in you, you can do this."

The younger man felt warm and gooey inside, like his nerves were just slipping away from him. It was difficult to go out there but knowing that he was believed in really helped. Peter blushed and nodded to his man.

"Thank you, I wish I could kiss you right now." Peter whispered, "For good luck."

Tony looked around them, noticing no one was around. He picked up Peter's hand and raised it, kissing it softly before letting it go again. "Good luck," he winked at him before he took his leave and went back to his station.

-

The first up was a kid called Bernard, who was so nervous he was shaking as he got up onto the stage. He stammered, stumbled and stuttered a little, but he did a really good job. As the contestants sat backstage, the others were making fun of him, which Peter couldn't stand. 

Steph was sitting awfully close to him, but his attention was more on trying to keep his nerves under control. She was laughing and joking at Bernie's expense, trying to get Peter to join in but he wouldn't. 

When everyone applauded him and the judges complimented him, Peter stood up and waited for Bernie to come back. When he did, the poor boy was flushed and embarrassed, a weird sort of adrenaline in him.

"Hey man," Peter smiled, patting him on the arm. "You did amazing!"

Bernie smiled nervously, "Th… thank you, P… Peter. You're going to d… do amazing t… too."

"Thank you, wish me luck okay?" Peter smiled, making Bernie feel more comfortable to be around him. "And don't sit next to Steph, trust me."

Bernie obviously understood and gave him a knowing smile and a gentle nod, patting Peter on the shoulder before heading over to the water dispenser to get a drink.

Stephanie was up next, and the rest of the contestants were speculating about what it could be about. Was it about Mr. Stark? Or Peter? Or vapid-ness? Whatever it was, it had better not be good. 

From backstage, they could hear her start to talk to the judges. 

"Uhm, Hi, I'm Stephanie Dixon, and this is a poem called 'Attention'." She then proceeded to recite a poem about the lack of parental attention she gets at home, which makes her seek it in her peers. It was quite a deep poem for such a self absorbed girl, it actually made Peter sorry for her. She was mean, but she did have a reason behind it. It wasn't an excuse, but it made sense.

When she came back, everyone backstage told her how amazing it was, and quicker than a wink, her demeanor changed back to the popular girl, and she replied to her compliments with; "I know!"

And then it was Peter's turn.

When his name was called his heart nearly fell out of his ass, hovering to his feet as he felt sick. Bernie stood up and patted his shoulder, "Y… you c… can do this P… Peter." 

"Thanks, Bernie." Peter smiled, "I can do this." He held his shoulders back and his head up high as he walked onto the stage. 

He could see and hear May clapping wildly, "Go Peter!" She shouted out enthusiastically, making some of the judges look around. He noticed how Mr. Stark was smiling, amused and eyes fixed on him. Chef Hogan was grinning at May as she sat there as the most supportive person there, watching Peter with pride in her eyes.

"Mr. Parker," Mr. Stark spoke out, "How are you today?"

Peter took a deep breath in and stood closer to the microphone. "I'm good thank you, I'm really nervous."

"YOU CAN DO IT! I LOVE YOU PETER!" May shouted up to him, making Chef Hogan and Mr. Stark laugh a little, as Peter flushed with embarrassment. 

"Thanks Aunt May, I love you too." he waved to her before clearing his throat. "Should I just go into it?"

"On your own time," Stark told him with a wink, taking a moment to shoot him a loving look. 

The man in question took a few moments to get himself in order, closing his eyes to take a breath in, focusing only on the words. He felt the ease of nerves as he just saw his boyfriend's smile in his mind.

Peter opened his eyes and looked at the judges as he began, his eyes set on Mr. Stark's. 

"Somebody once told me  
Poetry is a form of art  
Like picturing words from memories   
Inside of your heart."

He looked over to his aunt, who was sitting on the edge of her seat, the most proud expression on her face as she listened intently.

"My heart was broken years ago  
When my mother and father died  
The loving arms of my aunt  
Held me whilst I cried,"

May's eyes watered as she placed her hand on her heart, tilting her head. Peter could see that Chef Hogan noticed and offered her a tissue as he continued on with his poem.

"And even though the pain floods over me  
And nights are hard to survive  
A love so true holds my hand  
And stands by my side,"

Peter didn't know whether to look at Tony or not, even though the poem referenced their love, he didn't want to make it obvious. But he really wanted to know if the older man was touched by what he said, so he made an act of it, looking at the judges one by one and finishing on Tony.

"I've never been one to fit in  
I cannot change who I am  
But looking at where I've been  
I'm doing the best I can,"

Peter looked at Tony, whose face was soft and sweet. He knew the poem was about him, and he had that look on his face that said he wanted to scoop Peter up and kiss him. Peter loved that look.

"When he holds me things get better  
Like my heart is finally whole once more   
And the sun beats out the stormy weather   
Protecting me forever more."

As he finished, he took a nervous breath in, fidgeting with his fingers as he dared to look around the room. There was a wave of applause from the judges, and of course, May got up on her feet and was cheering him on, pulling Chef Hogan up to cheer too. 

Peter shook his head with a grin and a blush, bowing his head and looking up at Tony. Ugh, he was so in love with that man. Mr. Stark saw that others were standing up so he stood up too, clapping away as Peter got the recognition he deserved. 

"Mr. Parker, that was a very well written poem." One of the judges spoke out after the clapping ceased. "It holds true to your good nature, and I am very sorry to hear about your parents."

Peter swallowed hard, "Thank you, Miss." 

"And I would like to add," Mr. Stark spoke up, "That it was very brave of you to talk about your sexuality as well as such personal subjects. Well done, Mr. Parker."

"Thank you, Mr. Stark." He replied with a smile, "I tried hard."

"You did well, thank you." Stark replied, "You can exit the stage now."

Peter made it off stage as fast as he could, coming back to the rest of the contestants giving him compliments and cheering for him. 

"I… I knew you c… could d… do it!!" Bernie exclaimed. "Well done!"

\---

After a few more poems, all the contestants were brought onto the stage after the judges discussed the rankings. They were incredibly nervous, and Peter had completely forgotten about Stephanie's little bet until they stood next to each other on stage.

"Remember, I win, date." She whispered to him, making his eyes widen in shock from remembering. He knew that May and Tony both clocked that and knew what that was about. 

Bernie was on the other side of him, so Peter turned to him and smiled, patting him on the shoulder. "Mind switching places with me?" He whispered. 

Bernie nodded and the two of them switched, making Steph pull a sad face, but she was over it quickly as she straightened her back and flashed a smile to the judges. Peter and Bernie shared a little laugh as they both looked over at the judges too.

Mr. Stark came up on stage to talk about each of their merits and how proud he is of all of them. He did the whole "Each and every one of you did such a good job, it's such a difficulty to choose between them." - thing.

Peter was happy to hear that his name hadn't been called in the beginnings of the runners up. He knew he'd definitely made it to the top three.

"In third place," Stark spoke, "We have the fantastic work of Bernie Crane!" The audience applauded him as Peter turned and offered him a congratulations hug. 

"Down to the last two, Stephanie and Peter, can you please step forward." Mr. Stark asked of them. They did as they were asked and stood nervously at the front of the stage.

"Both of you had very personal poems, and they both had a deep meaning. One of you will get to go to the championship in the city, with a hotel weekend with a chaperone, and a $30 dollar amazon gift card, and the other will receive a $15 dollar gift card." He explained to them and the audience before leaving it a few seconds. 

Peter was taking deep breaths in and out, peering up to see his Aunt and the Chef crossing their fingers for him. He closed his eyes as he tried to keep her nerves under control. 

"And the winner is… Mr. Peter Parker!" Mr. Stark exclaimed with a huge smile watching as Peter's face lit up with surprise and happiness.

Immediately, May, Chef Hogan and Bernie were applauding him loudly, shouting out for him in whistles and love. Peter laughed as he was asked to come to stand next to the principal and shake his hand, his heart pounding hard. 

His boyfriend looked immensely proud of him, holding out his hand to shake as he offered him a medal to wrap around his neck.   
Tony whispered his congratulations, holding his hand for a few seconds too long, pride in his eyes. The local newspaper photographer took a few photos to do a piece on the winner up on stage, and one with the principal beside him. 

After all the applause and people started to disperse, May skipped over to Mr. Stark and Peter, throwing her arms around her nephew and hugging him tightly. 

"Peeeeeter!" She squealed, "You're such a talented man! I'm so proud of you!" She squeezed him, swaying side to side. "You're my favourite poet in the world!"

Peter laughed and hugged her back, knowing that his boyfriend was watching. "Thank you,"

"Who's that boy you were talking about? Do you have a boyfriend I don't know about?" May laughed as she squeezed him again.

"Uuhh, no, it's more of a spiritual thing," he lied his ass off. "Do you want to meet my mentor?"

"Of course!" May smiled, pulling back but leaving an arm around him. 

"Aunt May, this is my English teacher and the principal, Mr. Stark, he's a published writer and he's been mentoring me." Peter explained, biting his bottom lip, worried in case May could see right through them. 

May held out her hand for him to shake, "Hello, Mr. Stark. Thank you so much for all the help you've given my handsome nephew here!" 

"May!" Peter gasped at her, beaming yet embarrassed. 

Tony noticed how Peter reacted to being complimented, he loved how the younger man simply glowed. "It's nice to meet you Miss Parker, your nephew has a very good creative mind, and he's a very good student. You've brought him up very well." 

He took her hand and shook it, his eyes flicking from her to Peter. They talked for a few minutes before May offered to take Peter out for a congratulatory dinner.

"I have the money I was saving to fix the windows, but since you've sorted all of that I can take you out to dinner!" She turned to the principal. "This poet of mine did up our crappy old apartment and made it amazing for us, I'm just so proud!" 

Mr. Stark playacted, raising his eyebrows, seemingly impressed. "Is that right? What a thoughtful nephew you have!"

"Would you like to come with us to dinner?" May asked him, "Since you were his inspiration and all?" 

Tony smiled, "I would have loved to, but unfortunately I have to drive my wife to the airport tonight." He looked at Peter with a knowing look. "But I am certainly very proud of you, Peter."

"Thank you," Peter replied, all of these emotions were too much. He was so excited to go to the contest, but not to win, just to be able to spend two nights with the most amazing man alive.

He knew that when May took a sleeping pill tonight and went to sleep, he was going to sneak out and go be with his man for a celebration of their own. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How are you all enjoying it ❤


	15. Here With You

After a fantastic celebratory dinner with Aunt May, the two of them went back to their apartment and watched a movie before bed. May could not be more proud of her artistic nephew, in fact, she told all the waiters about his win and made such a fuss about it they got a free congratulations desert.

It wasn't too late, but late enough after the film for them to go to bed. Peter had texted Tony to come and get him, and he was waiting outside for May to fall asleep. 

Tony sat in the car, smiling to himself as he thought about seeing his boyfriend again. In truth, he should feel terrible. His wife sat in the seat next to him not a few hours ago as he drove her to the airport. She was asking him what his plans were whilst she was away, and he just sighed and said school work. 

He knew it wouldn't be long now until Peter turned 18 and he would graduate from the school. Which meant that it's not long now until he had to tell his wife about his affair, or just ask her for a divorce. 

All of this was a really big deal! Because if he is seen to leave his wife and go straight to a student he'd only recently taught, god, people would know. He never thought he would have to ask Pepper for a divorce, but he knew it was his decision. 

Peter asked him to, more or less, but he could have said no. Tony had a hundred chances over the last few months to shut this down, to tell Peter no, to change this situation for the better. But he was too weak. He could have easily fought off anyone else's advances, told them to leave and that he wasn't interested. 

But this was Peter, and Peter was the one. It didn't make sense, and it sucked that their ages were incredibly different. The younger man was so sweet and kind, so perfect and loving. Being with him made Tony's heart feel whole again, and he didn't ever want to lose that.

That being said, when Peter turns 18, his entire life is going to change and it scared him. He had to make sure he had money aside for a place to live, and that there was enough time to get his affairs in order.

Peter would have to hold on a few months before going public about them so they can pretend the relationship ignited after graduation. It was going to be a headache.

The car door opened and the sweet angel Peter climbed in with windswept hair and a sweet grin across his pretty face, and all of Tony's worries no longer seemed like important. 

"Hey beautiful," Tony said in a loving tone, reaching over and stroking his face. "I missed you."

Peter's face was already happy, but he looked even happier to hear Tony say that. "I missed you too! So what's the plan, Tony?"

Stark started the car and they headed off down the street towards his house. "I thought we could have a little midnight feast and maybe I could spoil you a little." He smirked as he looked over to his boy. 

"But you've already spoiled me so much," Peter giggled, "I don't want much from you,"

"I meant spoil you physically," Tony chuckled, "I thought I'd maybe teach you some things? Maybe, try some pleasurable things out?" He offered as they turned the corner.

"Ooooh," Peter replied as he rested his hand on Tony's leg, watching the street as it passed by. "That… that sounds brilliant."

\---

The moment they walked into the house, Peter was pinned to the wall with Tony's body against him, kissing him softly and caressing his face. The kiss was long and sweet, both of them moving against each other with little moans escaping their lips.

Tony rested his head against Peter's, grinning. "Do you want food? Or do you just want to go straight to it?" 

"Straight to it," Peter stroked the back of his hair. "I want it to last forever,"

"Me too, sweet one. Tell me which room you want to do it in," Tony rubbed their noses together, pressing gently kisses to his lips one by one. 

Peter's eyes were closed, he was incredibly turned on already, feeling himself floating on happiness. "Living room," he whispered. "On the sofa, do whatever you want to me," 

The older man growled and pulled him in for a harder kiss, putting his fingers into Peter's curls and holding them tight. His other hand guided Peter's hips to follow him down the hallway and into the living room, moving him to the couch. 

"Okay," he grinned, pulling away and kissing him between talking. "I'm gonna," another kiss, "Go and get something," and another. "You get comfortable," he whispered before he kissed him again. "I'll be back."

Peter sat down on the couch as Tony headed upstairs to get whatever he needed. He was in a permanent blush, thinking about how insane this all was. He decided to make this place a little more romantic, so he jumped up and closed the blinds and curtains before turning the lights to dim. He then found a candle or two in the drawer and lit them. 

By the time he took his shoes off and neatly put them on the floor, Tony came back into the room with a little bag. Peter spun around and looked at him, biting his lip in excitement. 

"What have you got there?" He asked, walking over to him and leading him to sit on the couch. Tony sat down normally, and Peter straddled him, smirking as he got comfortable on his lap.

Tony chuckled, holding the bag in one hand and the other wrapped around the younger man. "I have some lube, and a toy or two. We don't have to do anything you don't want to, but if you're willing, so am I."

Peter thought for a moment, looking deep into the older man's gorgeous hazel eyes. "I want to do things with you. Show me how good things can feel." He whispered. 

"I'd love to," Tony replied, "Let's get you very naked, because I missed your body." He slid his strong, warm hands up the back of Peter's shirt, touching over his soft skin. "Take this off,"

Peter put his arms up to help Tony take his clothes from him. His bare chest out in the open, his nipples hardening as he kept Tony's gaze. "Beautiful," The older man whispered, 

Peter took his bottom lip between his teeth as he stroked his teacher's chest. "Can we make you naked too?"

Tony shook his head, "No, baby boy. This is all about you, I'm going to enjoy this as much as you are." He trailed his fingers down Peter's chest to his abdomen, tugging at the hem of his trousers. "I'm going to show you some new things," 

He held onto Peter's hips and maneuvered them so he was laying on his back across the sofa. Tony kneeled on the cushions, looking over his sinfully perfect boyfriend. "Remember when I first had you here?"

"I was so nervous," Peter smiled, "I've never felt more alive." 

Tony's hands unfastened Peter's trousers and pulled them off, his boxers too. "Me neither," he gently stroked Peter's thighs as he pulled them apart. "God, look at you." He smiled to himself.

Peter was blushing hard, lying stark naked in front of the man he loved. He was enjoying being on show for Tony, it made him feel special and adored. 

"I can see you've been working out a little, huh?" Tony asked as he smoothed his hands up and over his chest, rubbing his nipples a little before coming down to his thighs. "These muscles are so kissable…" he breathed in, obviously completely aroused by the gorgeous sight laid in front of him. 

"What do you want to do to me?" Peter asked him with a coy smile, one hand at his head, playing with his own hair. 

Tony chuckled, "Have you ever heard of rimming?" He asked, rubbing his thumbs in circles on his thighs. 

Peter shook his head, "Nooo… what is it? Will it hurt?" 

"No, baby boy. It'll feel so good," he smirked. "Do you trust me?"

"I do," Peter wiggled his hips, "Tell me what to do and I'll do it." He was so eager to learn and feel everything that the older man was willing to give him all of him. 

Tony's voice came out like a husky whisper, "Close your eyes, angel. I'm going to put a pillow under your hips, so just go with it. If you want to stop at any moment, just tell me, I won't take offence."

The younger man swallowed hard and took a deep breath in. "Okay, Daddy, I trust you." He did as he was told and closed his eyes, getting comfortable as he felt Tony gently raise his hips and slid a pillow under him. 

"I really do love your ass, baby." Tony spoke softly, "Mmmm, it's such a pretty ass."

Peter felt Tony shift on the other side of the sofa, his legs being manhandled by the older man as they were opened wider. He prepared himself for whatever was going to happen, when suddenly he felt the lips he loved so much gently touching his hole. 

"Ohh," Peter whispered. It felt a little weird to begin with, but Tony was extremely caring. His wet lips kissed the younger man's cute pink hole, before letting his tongue dart out and gently massage the muscles.

The younger man had never imagined something like this would feel so good. Tony's mouth was doing magical things to him, moaning and humming as he ate out Peter slowly. Stark's tongue swiped over the hole, licking it a few times before sliding inside, covering it with saliva.

"Ohmygod," Peter gasped as Tony's tongue entered him, his hand grasping in his own hair as his hard cock bounced between his legs. "I… ohhh Mr. Stark,"

Tony kissed it a few more times before pulling back and looking up at Peter's flushed face. "Baby, are we doing the daddy thing or the teacher thing today?" He asked, stroking his leg. 

"Uh, let's go with daddy," Peter replied, smiling to himself in a state of bliss as he used his free hand to guide the older man's head back to his ass. "Keep going daddy,"

Tony chuckled, "Anything for my baby boy," he resumed his task in eating Peter out, this time going in rougher and deeper, holding Peter's ass up. 

"OH fuck!" Peter exclaimed, rolling his hips along with Tony's pace, needing more. God, he loved every single second of this, it made him feel like there was a whole new world to explore. "Daddy, daddy please…"

Tony growled into him, moving his head and lips faster, eating him out with everything he had in him. He was certainly really enjoying this as much as Peter was. His cock was hard against his jeans, begging to be freed as every sound that Peter made drove him over the edge.

"Oh, daddy! I wanna cum! That's so fucking good, oh fuck!" His skin was red and writhing on the couch, legs trembling. "Touch me,"

Tony's hand found its way to Peter's cock, jerking him off as he ate him out. Peter was coming to pieces beneath him, moaning loudly and uttering so many swear words. He knew the younger man was close to orgasm, so he kept going.

"Daaa… oh fuck, oh fuck! Please! I'm so… so fucking close… daddy!" Peter moaned louder and louder, his balls drawing up. The moment before he came, Tony stopped what he was doing and pulled back. 

The younger man whimpered, opening his eyes to see a smirk on the gorgeous face of the older man looking down at him. "Why won't you let me cum?" He asked like a brat, his hands on his chest and stroking down to his own cock. 

Tony batted his hand away. "Because we are not done yet," he told him in a husky voice. "I'm teaching you about edging, we're going to get so close, and then stop."

"But," Peter looked at him wide eyed and slightly sad, "But I wanna cum, daddy."

"I know, my boy." Tony told him, "And I promise your old man will make you cum and it's going to feel so good, but you said you wanted it to last forever, didn't you?"

The younger man nodded, "I did, but… but I wanna cum so badly, I'll do all my chores if you let me cum."

"A plus for your role playing, baby." Tony chuckled, "But Daddy doesn't want you to do any chores, oh, no, daddy wants you to do as he says. So stay right there, while I do everything."

Peter focused on his breathing as he waited, getting his mind in order and back to the land of normality. Though his cock was still aching to be touched, hard and needy. 

Tony leaned over and retrieved some things from the bag, opening everything up before turning back to his boy. "This'll be a little cold to begin with," he whispered as he opened the lube and put some on his fingers.

"Okay, dad, I trust you." Peter prepared himself again, licking his lips. 

The older man put his lubed up fingers to Peter's ass, watching as he slipped one inside of him. Peter made an erotic noise as the older man's digit disappeared inside, filling him up fully. 

He worked on Peter with one finger, slowly working it up to a second finger. The entire time he watched Peter's face as the finger's stretched him out. The younger man's mouth was gaped open, his eyes scrunched shut, as his cheeks tinged red. 

"You like your old man's fingers deep inside you, don't you?" Tony asked him, "Knowing that your father's fingers are making you feel so fucking good," 

This was a new depth to their role-playing, but Peter seemed to go wild for it. "Fuck! Fuck yes, dad! Fuck me so hard," 

Tony kept pushing his fingers in further, curling up as he went deeper. He enjoyed watching every inch of the younger man trembling under him. "Okay, time for your toy," he pulled his fingers out as he reached into the bag. "It's new, but it's only out of the box because I put batteries in it," he explained as he pulled out a medium length anal vibrator.

It was long and blue, and wasn't too thick but thick enough to feel good. Peter's eyes lit up with wonder as he watched the older man cover it in lube. Tony then turned his attention to his student, "No, I'm going to put this inside you, it has different levels, but we are going to try and last as long as we can, can you do that, son?"

Peter nodded, "Yes, daddy," he batted his eyelids as he bit down on his bottom lip.

"There's a good boy," Tony smiled as he sat the tip outside Peter's hole, rubbing it there for a moment. "You tell me when," he whispered lovingly. 

"Daddy?" Peter asked, "How many people have you done this with?"

The older man furrowed his brows. "This is the first time," he spoke softly, "Why?"

"It's just…" Peter blushed, "I know you're older and… well… experienced, and these nights are important and memorable to me," he looked innocent and sweet as he talked. "I don't wanna be just another notch, you know?"

Tony stopped what he was doing, his heart sinking as he understood what the younger man was really saying. He wanted this to mean something to him, because it meant everything to Peter. "Honey," Tony leaned over and kissed his stomach softly. "Every one I've had sex with until now… is forgotten. None of them felt as good, or meant as much as you do. And I'd rather have sex with you, than all of them put togetner."

Peter grinned as he blushed, "Okay," he nodded, "That's what I wanted to hear, I'm ready."

"Good," Tony kissed him again before training his kisses up Peter's body, his hand gently putting the toy back at the younger man's lubed up hole. "Remember you control this," he slowly pushed the toy inside of him. 

Peter moaned loudly as he felt the plastic cock push into him, reaching all the way to the hilt. "Fuckthatsgood!" 

The older man chuckled and kissed his neck, "You ready for me to turn it on?"

"Please," Peter whispered. 

With a quick press of a button, the toy inside of Peter began to vibrate. The younger man gasped as he jumped a little, holding on tightly to his boyfriend as he experienced this new pleasure. It was like nothing he'd ever imagined before, 

Within minutes, Peter was sweaty and red, bucking up against Tony's fukly clothed body as the older man kissed him, desperate to cum. The older man pulled back and watched his face, stroking his cheek after turning up the vibration.

"Such a pretty boy, do you think you should be allowed to cum, darling?" Tony asked in hushed tones. 

"Yes! Oh god, yes please daddy, I want to so badly… oh my… GOD! Please let me!" Peter was close to sobs as he was desperate to cum. 

"Hmmm," Tony growled against his neck. "Okay, sweet boy, I'll let you, let yourself cum sweetheart,"

"T… touch me?" Peter gripped onto him. "Please, I need you, oh my god!"

The older man moved slightly so he could move his hand around Peter's cock. It took three jerks before Peter came hard over Tony's hand, crying out so loudly that the older man had to kiss him to muffle the cries. 

\----

"You wanna know something?" Tony asked in a soft voice as they cuddled up on the couch, staring at the ceiling as the glow of the lights lit up their peaceful embrace. 

"Tell me," Peter smiled, gently stroking the older man's hand as it lay on his stomach. He hadn't been able to feel so soft of heart like this before. Everything felt comfortable and just as it should. 

"If I hadn't met you, I'd never have realised how good life could be." Tony whispered against his air, kissing it. "I truly, truly love you."

"I love you too," Peter replied, turning a little to kiss his chest. "You must hate only getting sex with she's gone."

Tony nodded, "I've been jerking off in the shower." He admitted, shifting a bit to get more comfortable. "Thinking about you every time." 

Peter licked his lips as he blushed, digging his face into Tony's chest. "I still can't believe this is real, it's like a dream I never want to wake up from." He whispered adoringly. "You're so important to me, in so many ways I can hardly explain it."

"Then explain it to me in a poem, when we go away together for the weekend." Tony suggested, "Read to me as we lie in bed and stare into each other's eyes." 

"I will, I can't wait. A whole weekend just us."

"Will your Aunt be okay with that?" Tony questioned, "With me going instead of you?"

Peter shrugged, "She should be okay with it. If she worries I'll just tell her about you being a positive male role model for me, I think she'll be cool with it." He explained, in truth, he knew May way too well. She only really wants what's in his best interest, and to have Tony there, romantically or not, would be in his best interest.

"I hope so," Tony kissed his head. "It's nearly 2am, what time do you want to go back?"

"Later," Peter whispered, curling into him. "I like being snuggled here too much to leave now."


	16. Friday

  
Mr. Stark managed to get them both out of last period classes on Friday so they can get a head start on the weekend. Tony had packed his bags and stocked up the boot of the car, and was parked outside the Parker residence, waiting for May to say goodbye. 

The Parkers walked out with the bag, so Tony got out to greet them and put the luggage in the car. He was met with a wave from Peter as May talked his ear off.

"And remember to take your medication, also if you need me I've told Val at the diner I'll have my phone on the whole time just in case. And can you get someone to film it? Or will it be televised? I'd like a copy of your recital!" She was the most excited, supportive aunt you could ask for. 

Unfortunately, even if Peter wanted her to come, she couldn't, because they were very short staffed at the diner and someone needed to be there. But that didn't stop her from finding every other way to be supportive. 

"Hello, Mr. Parker, Miss Parker," Tony smiled as he approached them. "Would you like me to take your bag?"

Peter handed it over with a thank you as May pulled him in for a hug. "Call me when you're there, and before and after the contest! And before you leave!" She requested, hugging him tightly. 

"I will," Peter laughed. "Don't worry, I'll be safe. Mr. Stark knows the city, the hotel, the people who will be there. He'll keep an eye on me wherever I go." He informed her, "Nothing will go wrong."

"It's better not!" May laughed, kissing his cheek before begrudgingly letting him go so he could walk towards the car, where Tony held the door open for him. 

They shared a sweet smile as Peter slipped into the car. As Tony closed the door behind him, May called him over, so he motioned to Peter he'd be two minutes before walking over to the lady. He was fucking terrified. The entire time he was thinking 'oh my god she knows I'm fucking her nephew'.

"Is everything okay, Miss Parker?" He asked her with a polite smile.

May took his hand and held it in hers, looking him dead in the eyes, "Mr. Stark, I just want to say how grateful I am that Peter has you to help him." She looked over at Peter, who was confused and slightly concerned about their secret conversation. 

"That's-" 

"I'm not finished." May cut him off, letting a big breath go. "Peter has had a hard life, she's lost so many people and I'm all he has. But since you've been around… he's… I don't know, he seems like the Peter I used to know again. You… you helped fix whatever darkness he had, I don't know what you did, Mr. Stark, but you got through to him. And I am forever thankful."

Mr. Stark smiled at her, that was such a lovely thing to know. That he had done something so amazing for their little broken family, and it really made him feel a lot better about the things he was planning to do to Peter later.

"Peter is a great man," Tony told her. "You've done an amazing job raising him. It's truly a testament to you, and it's been a pleasure knowing him." He watched as May teared up with a wobbly smile, trying not to cry. "We both want what's best for him and to see him happy, I promise I'll keep my eye on him all weekend, and I'll film the competition for you."

May pulled him in for a hug, squeezing him for less than five seconds before coming away from him. "Drive safe! He can't eat lobster, he's allergic. And he needs to take his medications, and if he's up too late he won't get up in the morning."

Tony laughed, "Don't worry, okay? I've got it all under control." He said as he walked towards the car, "We'll see you Sunday night!" He got into the car and turned on the ignition, pressing the button for Peter's window to come down. 

Peter waved at May as he spoke quietly to Tony. "What was that about?"

"I'll tell you when I regain consciousness."

\-----

Half an hour on the road and the radio was playing a selection of country hits. Peter had the window down as the wind blew in his hair, and he had a selection of snacks in his lap as they laughed together. Tony looked over at him, carefree and happy, remembering what May said about the effect he has on him. He felt so happy, it was like he didn't even care about his marriage.

"I was thinking," Tony spoke as he stole a sweet from Peter's lap and put it in his mouth. "When we settle in, we could maybe go on a date?" 

"Really?!" Peter asked in excitement. "It'd be kind of weird dating a man with a wedding ring," he laughed, "But I'd love to!"

The older man brought his hands together on the steering wheel and took off his ring, putting it down into the pocket space between their seats. "There." He smirked, "I can't wait."

Peter blushed. He really appreciated that gesture, and yeah, he felt a stab of guilt in his heart. But he knew there was no relationship between Pepper and Tony. Things between them hadn't been sexual in a long time, and the love was obviously not there anymore, or Tony wouldn't have Peter.

"A whole weekend with you to myself," Peter mused as he watched the older man's profile as he drove. "I'm so lucky."

Tony chuckled in reply, "I'll think you'll find I'm the lucky one." He turned to wink at the younger man before looking forward. "But remember, when we are around other contestants we are teacher and student. Only when we're alone are we together,"

"I know, I can't wait. I just want to have you all to myself, maybe share a bath or a shower?" Peter asked excitedly. "And maybe we could have sex against the wall?"

The older man was grinning from ear to ear, "You really make me feel young and happy again." He spoke as they turned the corner. "I'm so glad we're together."

Peter opened a packet of sweets from his lap, "I am too," he replied. "Would you like a sweet?"

"Please," 

The younger man picked out one of the lemon sherberts and unwrapped it, holding it up to Tony's mouth for him to take. As he did so, the older man took the sherbert and kissed his hand. 

"God, I love you." Peter whispered.

\---

When they got to the hotel, they had to make sure to act like a teacher and student because a lot of the other contestants were going to be staying there. Luckily for them, they were the only ones from the competition staying on the third floor. 

Tony made sure to call ahead and get two rooms that had a door connecting them. They couldn't be seen walking to each other's rooms on the security cameras, he wanted to make sure that everything was secret. 

So the two of them went up to the third floor and got into their rooms. Tony put his bag on the bed when he heard a soft knocking from the shared door. He smirked and walked over, unlocking it. Peter was standing nervously with his bag still in his hand, "Can I stay with you?"

The older man reached over for Peter's bag and brought it into the room. "Of course you can, darling boy." He greeted him into the room and closed the door behind him. "Let's put our stuff away and find somewhere to get some dinner? We should also discuss the poem you'll be reciting for the competition."

Peter got on with unpacking and putting everything away, he actually loved putting his shoes next to Tony's. It sort of felt like they were moving in together! When he was done, he sat on the big comfortable double bed and watched Tony put the last of his things away.  
He pulled out a cologne from his bag and placed it on the table. 

"Can I take a picture of that?" Peter asked as he sat leaning back on his hands.

Tony raised an eyebrow, "Why would you want to do that?"

"Because it smells like you." The younger man told him, "And I want to save up and get some so I can spray my pillow at home with it."

His lover laughed as he reached into his bag and pulled out a second, unused one. "Did you really think I'd not get you one?" He gently threw it to Peter to catch. The younger man grinned and opened it, smelling it and closing his eyes as he fell back on the bed. 

"You're adorable." Tony commented as he kicked off his shoes, crawling onto the bed and over him. "Give me a kiss," 

Peter reached over and placed the cologne on the table before threading his hand into Tony's hair, pulling him down for a perfect kiss. The two of them softened into the kiss, eyes closed and taking their time to really taste each other. 

They rolled over and got comfortable, entwining their legs as they continued to kiss each other lovingly. Peter tugged at his hair softly, breathing in as their kiss felt so magical. Tony's tongue massaged his own, the both of them letting out soft moans of satisfaction.

Tony rested his forehead on Peter's, "You taste so good," he smiled, "Gah, Peter… you've made me so happy."

Peter's eyes were closed, he bit his bottom lip as he smiled. "I'm so honoured you love me as much as I love you," he whispered, "Not many people get to be as lucky as me."

"Only you get me," Tony placed a little kiss on his nose. "And hopefully… only I get you?"

The younger man giggled, "Of course!" His other arm slipped around Tony and pulled him impossibly close. "You're the only one I ever want."

"Thank you, baby boy." Tony replied, "Let's get all dressed up and find somewhere to go for dinner?"

"Deal!"

\---

After a quick change, Tony drove Peter down the road to a really lovely restaurant on the corner. It was called 'The Founding Fathers' and wasn't like what Peter was usually used to. Peter had really only grown up going to diners, so anything more than that was a whole new experience.

Tony walked him to their pre-booked table and pulled out a chair for him. They ordered themselves some food and drinks, but since Peter was younger, he wasn't allowed to order alcohol. 

"Please?" Peter asked quietly, "Just give me a little of yours?"

Tony raised an eyebrow. "Just because we've taken to doing some illegal things doesn't mean we are breaking all the laws." He put on his serious face. "I'm still your teacher you know." The younger man sulked a little and ordered himself a soda. 

"Talk to me about the poem you're going to use for tomorrow?" Tony asked him, sipping at his red wine. "Anything to do with me?"

Peter half smiled, sitting up straight. "I don't know whether that's too obvious." He explained, "I know some people are just doing the poem they won the first round with, but I want to do another as well."

"Actually, Peter, you have to recite your winner and another one so you can do that." Tony told him, "But just do what feels right, you know that poetry is the love language of your heart. Speak the words that your soul writes and you'll do no wrong."

The younger man sighed with content, gazing lovingly at his teacher. "You're perfect." He said truthfully, "How are you so perfect?"

"Ppff, beats me!" Tony answered him, "I don't see myself that way, but it feels great that you see me like that. It's good to know this isn't just about sex."

Peter furrowed his eyebrows, leaning over and taking Tony's hand on the table. "This was never about sex." He spoke from the heart, staring into the eyes he loved so much. "This was about you. Your heart, your personality, your eyes… and yeah, okay, the sex is a-maze-ing." He cracked a smile as he continued to speak. "But I'm with you because of who you are."

He noticed how there was a tear trying to escape the eyes of the man he loved so dearly. Tony wiped it with his free hand. "I'm so glad I let you into my house that night."

"I am too." Peter smiled, sitting up straight again. "And you? I know I'm not just sex to you either."

"Yeah?" Tony chuckled, "And how would you know that?"

"The way you look at me." Peter stated matter of factly. "I've never seen anything more beautiful than your eyes when they see me smile."

Tony licked his lips before grinning, "I didn't realise I was that easy to read. But you're right… I adore you. Sex or not. You're under my skin."

Peter laughed, "Isn't that something you say about someone you hate?" He joked with merriment.

"What? No, have you never heard that song? Cole Porter wrote it, and Frank Sinatra sang it so well." Tony told him, sitting back as the waiter placed their food in front of them.

"I thought you only liked classic rock?" The younger man questioned as he picked up his cutlery and started to eat.

The older man followed suit and started to eat as they conversed. "I like all kinds of music, the way I look at things is if you stick to one type of food, or genre, or colour, you'll miss out on the beauty of everything else. Broaden the things you surround yourself with, and life can be more colourful than you'd ever imagined."

\---

It was no lie to say that every single time Tony spoke, Peter fell harder in love. His heart literally grew with every conversation as he learned more about his boyfriend. He found out that Tony used to be the lead singer of a jazz band in college, and that he took science as one of his majors. That the thing he most wanted in his life was a large house with as many animals as he was able to have. 

They shared a desert, sitting closer together as they shared laughs and sweet whispers to each other. Holding hands under the table and enjoying themselves completely. Even though it wasn't about sex and intimacy, they felt incredibly close to each other.

Peter was still bummed that he couldn't drink, knowing that it meant that him and Tony had an obvious difference between them. It's not that he wanted to get drunk, but sharing a little red wine with your boyfriend on a dinner date was an experience that he really wanted to have.

After dinner, they had a stroll around the city, hand in hand. They managed to find a little park to stroll through, walking round the trees and flowers together in the low light of the street lamps. 

"I'm nervous." Peter confessed, "About tomorrow and the contest."

"You have no reason to be," Tony comforted him, stroking his hand with his thumb. They were walking rather close, stealing glances from each other. "Your work is exceptional, my love. We wouldn't be here if you weren't good enough."

Peter stopped in his tracks, pulling Tony to stand in front of him. "I… I don't want to let you down." He bowed his head, "If I lose, I… I don't want you to see me differently."

The older man put his hand on the side of Peter's face, gently stroking his cheek as he pressed his lips gently on his forehead. "I believe in you," he whispered. "And whether you win or lose, I'm going to take you in my arms and remind you how much I am proud of you, and how much I love you."

The younger man felt himself smile as his heart felt warm. He slid his hands and arms around Tony's waist, leaning his head up and touching their noses together. "Take me back to the hotel?" He whispered. "Take me to bed?"

"As you wish." Tony grinned.

When they reached the hotel, they went in their own doors and met in Tony's room. "I'm going to take a shower," Peter told him as he pulled the older man's tie. "And shave everything for you," 

"Mmmm, is that right?"

"Yeah," Peter grinned, kissing him gently. "Maybe you wanna come with me?" 

Tony let his coat fall from his shoulders as he followed the younger man towards the bathroom. "That sounds like fun," he smirked, grabbing at Peter's trousers. 

They walked towards the bathroom, grabbing at each other as they began to kiss. As the door opened and Peter pulled his boyfriend in, Tony's mobile began to ring. "Don't answer it," Peter whispered against his lips.

Tony groaned, "I have to, it could be someone from the administrations office. You go get yourself soapy and sexy for me, and I'll be right in." He kissed him again before turning around to get his phone.

Peter jumped in the shower as Tony answered, walking over to the balcony so whoever it was couldn't hear the shower running. 

"Hello?"

It was Pepper. She wanted to know how his week had been, and they ended up being on the phone for a while. Pepper had issues at work she wanted to talk through, and there wasn't an excuse good enough to neglect her and turn off the phone. 

Peter got bored of waiting. He'd shaved his entire body, and used fruity body wash. He'd brushed and flossed his teeth and slipped into his tight shorts. But as he walked out of the bathroom, he saw no Tony, and an open balcony door. 

The younger man walked over and leaned against the frame, listening to his boyfriend who had no idea that he was standing there. 

"I know," Tony told her. "If anyone can do it, it's you. You're incredible in these situations, darling." 

Peter felt sick. And suddenly he felt very stupid and foolish, even though he was young, fit, and half naked, he still wasn't as good as the wife. He went to grab himself a dressing gown from the wardrobe before going back to let Tony know he was out.

"I love you too, you know that." Tony told her, leaning against the railings. "I know we haven't had sex in a while… yes, I get that. But you're really busy… I know. Of course, you're beautiful."

The younger man's throat began to hurt as he tried to not cry in his moment. He tapped Tony on the shoulder and got his attention. The older man looked at him sympathetically, shrugging and mouthing the words 'I'm sorry'. 

Peter rolled his eyes and walked back into the hotel room, and instead of crawling into Tony's bed and waiting for him, he retreated into his own room and locked the door. It was silent, and dark and lonely. 

This felt like a rejection. Peter knew this would happen, after all, he was the other lover. Pepper was the victim in this game of love, but even with that being true, why did Peter hurt so much?

He cried into his pillow as he could still hear the older man's deep voice since the world apart from him was silent. Tony was a married man, he really wasn't doing anything wrong by spending time on his wife. But Peter hoped that when they said they loved each other, that he would come first. 

After all, Tony was going to leave her for him. And he was away in the city with him, after buying him a lovely dinner. Peter was the one he loved, so why did he feel like the one he didn't?

Peter couldn't sleep. He pulled out his notebook and scribbled ideas for a poem, hoping that this was inspiration and not just depression. Time seemed to pass fast, and it was an hour aand a half until Tony came back inside and closed the door to the balcony. 

Peter listened quietly, his bed right next to the wall to Tony's room. He heard the older man sit on his bed, sighing heavily. Peter feld bad about leaving him, but Peter was also hurt. And being so young, he didn't know how to cope with these feelings and situations. All he knew was that he was hurt, and walking away was the best thing he could have done.

Tony walked over to their shared door and tried to open it, but he realised it was locked and rested his head upon it. He knocked softly, but Peter wasn't sure whether he felt comfortable falling into his arms after he whispered lovely, sickening things to his wife.

So he didn't answer the door. 

"Please?" Tony whispered, sounding miserable. "Please, Peter?"

Peter couldn't hear the older man sound so sad. He jumped out of bed and unlocked the door, gently pulling it open and looking up to see the tired face of his mentor. 

"I'm sorry," Tony whispered, not touching him. "I didn't mean for that to happen."

The younger man nodded, "But it did." He whispered in reply. "You're married, Tony. This was going to happen, I just… I didn't realise how bad it would hurt."

Tony nodded, looking down at the carpet as he continued to look exhausted and upset. "This is getting harder." He confessed. "Pepper doesn't deserve to be hurt like this,"

"Neither do I." Peter added on. "And neither do you."

"I can't just leave her, Peter," 

"I didn't tell you too. I'm just saying that we are all hurt, or going to be. And tonight, I… I finally feel like what I've been all along. And it sucks,"

Tony leaned against the door frame and placed his hand into his pocket. "And what's that?"

The younger man leaned against the door itself, holding onto the handle as they talked quietly. This was the most painful moment they had spent in each other's presence. "A dirty little secret."

"Pete," Tony sighed, "You know why we're a secret. You know that we can't come out about this, it's not legal."

Peter nodded. "I know, Tony. I know… and I respect, understand and agree." He half smiled, reaching over and taking Tony's free hand. "I just hate how this is making me feel."

"I do love you." Tony whispered. With every sentence he spoke it really felt like he was taking the words from deep in his soul. "This is hurting me so much. Knowing I'm hurting two people, two people who love me and trust me not to hurt them. But… I'm in love with you. Just you. That's not going to change. Soon you'll turn 18, and I'll leave Pepper. And then you'll graduate, and after a few months we can pretend we began to date then, and slowly start to be seen out in public."

Peter sighed, "It's a lot of sneaking around." He pointed out. "It's going to take forever for us to be a couple."

"Yeah. It is." Tony confirmed. "But aren't we worth it?" He looked up at Peter, exhausted eyes and the most heartbreaking face. 

"We are worth all that and more." The younger man told him straight away. "I've never thought otherwise. I just love you, Tony. I love you so much it hurts,"

The older man stood up and slid his hands around Peter's waist, pulling him in close and cuddling him softly. Peter's arms wrapped around him as they both closed their eyes and breathed into the hug. "I love you too." Tony whispered. 


	17. Saturday

When Tony opened his eyes at eight am, he was spooning Peter and cuddled into his warm back. They hadn't talked much since their 'I love you' last night, but instead they just kind of gravitated to bed. It took Peter a while to fall asleep, but when he did, Tony just sat and watched him sleep peacefully in his embrace.

What Peter said was right, there was so much unnecessary hurt. Tony didn't care that he, himself, was hurt as he knew that every action he made was going to rain hellfire on him. He took the chances and made them anyway. And Pepper? She didn't even know yet how hurt she was supposed to be. But Peter… he knew he was placed in this horrible position. 

Tony never wanted to hurt Peter, and he wanted to make sure he'd never do that again. He promised himself in that moment, that from now on, if he was with Peter, Peter came first. None of this was meant to happen, and he could see himself as the world must have seen him. Disgusting. Predator. Leading him on. Playing with Peter's heart. Corrupting a student. 

But that's not how Tony saw it, and that's certainty not how Peter saw it. All they wanted was each other, was it really their fault how their lives crossed? How their hearts were separated into two people who had no business being together but found each other anyway? 

Tony had been reborn in a sense. The old Tony was a lie, and this Tony? He was happy.

Tony stroked his love and cuddled into him for hours, kissing his shoulder every so often. With his eyes closed, he truly felt the wonders of the younger man, and how he couldn't feel complete without him. Peter's body was soft and smelled so sweet, they could lie there forever.

So when he opened his eyes in the morning, his first reaction was to kiss Peter. As his lips touched Peter's cheek, he realised that Peter was awake. The older man placed his lips very gently on Peter's ear, his warm breath against his skin. He kissed it gently.

Peter closed his eyes slowly, raising his hand up and gently stroking Tony's neck. He turned around a little to try and reach his lips. The older man licked his earlobe, gently touching Peter's stomach with his strong hands. Tony could feel the younger man's silk skin heating up, he needed to be touched. And the older man felt that too, he had to be reminded what all of this was for, just in case last night ruined anything.

The younger man was hard. He used his hand to move Tony's down to his cock, gently rubbing against the length, feeling it pulse at his touch. Their eyes were closed as Tony's hand slipped into his boxers, taking a hold of Peter's cock and jerking it off slowly..

Peter was breathing heavily, trying to kiss Tony with a slow, fiery passion. The older man was hard too, his cock pressing against Peter's thigh. 

Between deep kisses and hot breaths, the two of them were stuck to each other, taking their time to get their clothes off, breathing deeply against each other as they turned over on the bed. Peter was on top, pulling off his shirt and looking down into Tony's eyes.

Those big, perfect eyes that were filled with so many sorrows and yet the brightest flicker of love. Tony stroked Peter's chest, holding onto his waist and turning them over, making sure they were both naked. Stripping Peter's boxers off him slowly as he kissed over his abdomen and thighs. Peter reached over to the bedside table and picked up the lube he'd brought with them, passing it over to Tony.

There was no talking. They didn't need words, just touches. Soft and beautiful touched which said more than words ever could. Tony kissed over Peter's body, pressing wet kisses over his nipples and up to his clavicle as he lubed up his fingers and let them stretch Peter open.

The younger man was cradling Tony's hair, his skin tickled pink as he began to pant. The three fingers inside him, dipping in further and trying to stroke his prostate. Peter's mouth was open as he tugged at Tony's hair, making him look up at him.

What Tony saw was a dishevelled, gorgeous boy who needed his daddy. Peter's cheeks were rosy, his lips wet and his eyes wild. His hair was a fucking mess, and he looked so precious.

Tony crawled up the younger man's wanting body as Peter pulled his face closer, kissing him passionately. Tony removed his fingers, putting more lube onto his cock. Their embrace lingered, kissing each other in a meaningful manner, nibbling at each other's lips and keeping their bodies locked together. 

Peter's arms held onto the back of Tony's shoulders as the older man held onto his hips, pushing his cock slowly inside of him. Peter always felt so amazing, so tight and needy. Stark pressed soft kisses all over Peter's face as he fit his large cock inside the younger man. 

The younger man was completely submitting himself to Tony, searching deep into his eyes as Tony began to thrust. He was gripping onto Peter as he slowly pulled in and out, hovering over the younger man. 

Whether it was their spirits or their hearts, something inside them connected. Connected in a way they'd never felt before. Tony's protective touches, holding Peter with such a caring love. The younger man succumbed to his heart, a wave crashing over him, letting him know that nothing could get better, or more real than it was right now.

Tony was moving inside him, his face the perfect picture of arousal as he filled Peter up. The younger man was clinging to him, letting his hand fall between them to massage himself as they fucked. 

They were sweaty and needy, moving against each other in sync. Peter pulled him down for a kiss, touching himself a little faster, gently whimpering into Tony's mouth as he was getting fucked. Tony grunted, his orgasm rising him, he took over for Peter and jerked him off, the other hand on his neck as their lips hovered against each other. 

Moments later, Peter thrust up wildly, cumming hard between them, strings of white liquid coating their abdomens. Tony came shortly after, continuing to fuck him through it. 

Sweaty and covered in cum, Peter and Tony lay in each other's arms, breathing heavily. Peter's head was turned into the older man's neck, cuddling into him as Tony stroked his back. 

\---

After they both got themselves out of bed and ready for the day, Peter and Tony found themselves sitting in the hotel restaurant having lunch. Tony had a sandwich sitting in front of him, and Peter had a burger and fries. It was one hour away until the contest began, and luckily for Peter, he was near the end. Which meant that they could slip in at the allotted time and not have to wait that long until they could leave. 

Peter just wanted to talk to his Tony, be open and honest. It was killing him right now that they couldn't hold hands, to comfort each other. This morning was a very important morning for him, because it confirmed that he was number one in Tony's life. Peter couldn't care less about the competition, of course he loved his poetry, and Tony loved it too.

But this weekend was about them, and Peter didn't want any distractions.

"How are you feeling?" Tony asked as he took a sip of his soda.

Peter half smiled, "I'm okay." He replied, "I think it's just a lot, you know? And I never really know how to prioritise my thoughts." 

"How do you mean?" 

"Well," Peter picked up a fry from his plate. "I should be thinking about the competition, or May, or anything else. But… it won't leave my mind, it's taking me over."

Tony raised an eyebrow, a small smile on his face as he tried not to look at his student so lovingly. "What's on your mind instead?"

Peter couldn't say it. Not here, not while people can hear. But he didn't really need to say it, because Tony knew. He knew that it was him clouding his mind, that Peter could only see him and nothing else. 

The younger man smiled sweetly and pushed his plate across to his teacher, offering him what was his. The older man took one and smiled back, knowing exactly what he meant.

-

When the time came for Peter to go up on stage, he made sure that Mr. Stark had his phone to record everything for his aunt May. There were way more people than there was at school. The judges sat in front and there were rows of families and friends, but all the contestants were behind stage. 

There was one pair of eyes on him, that he had no idea was there. In fact, he hadn't thought about this person, or had remembered this person existed. But she had come to support him, and maybe try to get that date she'd been after. 

Steph hid in the back, watching Peter as he stood by the mic on the platform.

In all honesty, there was no time for nerves, because his heart felt too full for anything else. He knew his first poem would go down well, but the second one was going to be deep. He hadn't discussed it or shown it to his teacher, because he wanted to do this one on his own.

Poem one, went down very well. He got a round of applause before the judges took a few minutes to make some notes before asking him to do his second one.

Well, here goes nothing.

"Like many my age, I crush on a man  
A man so strong and so brave.  
He walked in with charm, he promised no harm and I tell you my life he did save.  
I sit by the phone, I dream all through the night, of the day he may surely understand.  
That the person for him, has been here all along, waiting to hold on his hand."

Peter spoke with a smile, feeling so free to just express himself into an open room. He could sense that Mr. Stark felt tense watching this, and he knew the camera was on. But he didn't care. He had the microphone, and he needed to feel free. 

"His sad eyes watch as the world passes him by, never getting what he desires.  
And when he smiles that irresistible smile, his eyes fill up with fire.   
The darkness took him for a year or so, but now he's fighting back.   
And now I have loved him, and seen his true beauty, I know I'll never turn back."

He didn't want to directly look at Tony. Because he didn't want to give anything away, so he started at the other side and looked at the audience as he spoke, slowly turning his eyes until he looked into the camera, staring at Tony.

"If I could tell him how my heart shines just standing in his light.  
Maybe he'd leave her for me, to keep him warm at night.   
I'm just a kid, talking far older than my age.  
But love, as you know, always does something strange."

He looked to the judges, a million percent sure he wasn't going to win. He knew this was probably inappropriate, but this was his shot to express himself as loudly as he could to the man he loved.

"If there's one thing you take today from me.  
Know that love comes in the strangest ways.   
And every time I look in his eyes   
I finally see why I'm alive,"

When he finished, there was an applause. Some people refused to clap, probably on the base of homophobia, but everyone else was very impressed. Peter was thanked by the judges and ushered off the stage.

As Peter came backstage, he was met by Tony, who had made sure no one was in the room when they approached each other. Peter looked up at him nervously, biting his lip, ready to get in trouble. 

"Pete," Tony whispered, gently raising his hand and resting it on Peter's chin, lifting it. "I am so in love with you, and I'm so proud of you."

The younger man grinned and blushed, his heart swelling with love. "I love you too, Tony."

Mr. Stark leaned in and kissed him softly, letting him know that everything was okay. The two of them embraced for a moment or two before they pulled away, sharing a knowing smile and putting their act back on.

  
FIVE MINUTES AGO

  
Steph watched as Mr. Stark put his phone away in his pocket before walking to meet Peter behind the stage. She followed them quietly, looking through the door as they met up with each other. She knew exactly what was going on, she'd had a hunch since Peter's outburst the first time, but after that poem, there was no denying it.

She watched as Mr. Stark's hand gently touched Peter's chin, raising it up to look at him. They shared a smile, a blush, some whispered words between them before Tony bowed his head and kissed Peter.

Steph was shocked, her eyes wide as she tried to think about what to do! She grabbed her phone and took a picture before getting out of there as soon as possible. 

\---

Tony had offered to take Peter out for the night, to show him the town and buy him the world. But all Peter really wanted was to be with him. The older man was adamant to do something special, so he brought Peter into the city and bought him a lovely dinner. 

After they walked around a shop or two, Tony noticed that Peter seemed really sad and off-mood. Like he could see the world around him but he wasn't really looking at anything. The older man walked in front of him and gently touched his waist, pulling him in close.

"Okay darling, what's wrong?" He asked quietly.

Peter shook his head slowly, "Nothing," 

"No, something's wrong. Please tell me," his boyfriend asked him. "I wanna know."

The younger man peered up at him, "I just… I realised that tomorrow I'm going home again. And being here with you, is the only place I really want to be."

The older man felt a tug at his heart strings, he gently leaned over and pressed a quick kiss to Peter's head. "My darling," he whispered. "No matter where we are, I'm always wishing I'm with you. I don't want this to end either, baby." 

Peter nodded, clearing his throat and rested his head against Tony's shoulder. "You are the only thing I care about." He whispered. "Whether or not I win tomorrow, all I'll be thinking about is you going home to her, when you should be coming home to me."

"Come on," Tony breathed, "Let's get you back to the hotel. I want to spend all night with you in my arms."

After getting back to the hotel, Tony made sure to take care of Peter as well as he could. He called room service and ordered two lavish chocolate deserts and ran them both a very hot bubble bath. 

When Tony came out of the bathroom, he found Peter, lying on the bed, topless, and resting on his elbow and flicking through a magazine. 

"What are you reading, baby?"

"I'm not really reading it, I'm just passing the time until I get to see you naked." Peter smirked, closing it over and standing up on the bed, walking over to Tony. Stark pulled off his shirt, throwing it onto the floor as he eyed up the younger man, a flirty smile on his face. 

As the younger man undid his trousers and pushed them down over his thighs, biting his lip as he tilted his head. He bowed down to kiss the older man, but as their lips hovered over each other's, Tony's phone rang.

Peter sighed, "That'll be for you,"

The older man smirked, "Who fucking cares?"

They came together, touching and kissing, moaning as Tony brought Peter into his arms. He pushed Peter against the wall, letting the phone ring out as he shoved his tongue down the younger man's throat.

The night went perfectly in each other's eyes. They kissed so hard and so much that Peter's lips were literally buzzing from the movements. Their love making was crazy, grabbing at each other's bodies as they  
moved almost violently against each other.

The way Peter moaned made next door knock on the walls, telling them to stop being so loud, but they didn't care. By the end of their session, Peter was covered in love bites, all in places he could cover up. And the room was a complete mess, pillows and chairs lying on the ground.

It was undoubtedly the best night of sex that Tony had ever had in his life. 

After their wild and careless night of passion, Tony soaked in the tub, with his gorgeous younger boyfriend lying in his arms. They held hands as the others gently played with the bubbles that floated around them. 

"I've never taken a bath with anyone before," Peter whispered, "I really love you."

Tony snuggled into his back, eyeing up the hickeys on the younger man's chest and thighs. "This is by far, the best bath I've ever had. I love you too." He kissed Peter's curls. "How long until you turn 18?"

"Uhhh, 2 months and 3 days." Peter told him, "The day after graduation," 

"That's very close." Tony commented, "I don't really know how the whole thing is going to go down. I've been trying to think of what to tell Pepper to break it off."

"Have you come up with anything yet?"

The older man gently stroked Peter's waist as he cuddled into him. "A few ideas. I don't know whether I should say we've just fallen out of love, or tell her I'm gay. But I don't really know which to go for, because I do, in a sense, love her."

Peter nodded, staying quiet. 

"But not like I love you," Tony reassured him, "I would die for you, darling boy. I just care about her, but funnily not enough not to have an affair." He groaned as he kissed Peter's jaw. "What a fucked up situation."

The younger man closed his eyes and let himself relish this moment, being in the older man's arms. "I know it's hard," Peter told him softly. "But whatever happens, we have each other. And I'll never let anything bad happen to you."

"Thank you, sweetheart." Tony kissed his head. "And the same to you."


	18. Sunday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TW // meditation related unconsciousness

This past weekend had been one hell of a weekend, from the emotional to the physical ups and downs. Both of our secret lovers wished they didn't have to leave their hidden cocoon of love. But needs must, and they couldn't keep away from the real world forever.

When Tony didn't answer his phone, and instead made sweet, loud love with Peter, that's when he knew that this was as reciprocal as he wanted. In fact, his boyfriend hadn't touched his phone all night, even when Peter was half asleep and Tony was awake, stroking his hair. The phone lay untouched until morning. It turns out, Tony had three missed calls. Two from Pepper and one from a friend, but they didn't get a reply. 

The results of the competition were at midday, so Tony and Peter packed up their luggage and put it into the car before heading to the hall. Peter wasn't really nervous, more exhilarated that he had the courage to enter something like this, and to read his work aloud. That was a big step for him.

As Mr. Stark looked at Peter on the results stage, he decided that whatever means necessary, he was going to leave Pepper as soon as possible. He had decided on sitting her down and telling her that he is gay, and that he needs to be on his own to explore his feelings. And then he'd get an apartment somewhere quaint, where he could write all weekend and go out to his day job during the week. A place with a big enough bath for him AND Peter. 

His angel stood up on the stage with four other contestants, the top 5, as the results came in. Mr. Stark was in the crowd filming it and with good purpose too, because when the main judge came up on stage to crown their winner, May was able to live in the moment where her nephew one.

Peter was surprised and beaming, the audience applauded loudly and Mr. Stark cheered even louder. 

It was a really, amazing day.

\---

The drive back was a sad occasion. They didn't want to part, so Tony drove slower than he did on the way there. Peter had his hand on Tony's leg, just so he could touch him. 

As a prize, Peter was going to get his two poems professionally published. He also got $300 prize money and a really nice leather bound book to write his poetry in. 

He was clutching the book as they drove, smiling as he thought about this past weekend and how perfect last night was. The younger man looked over to the driver, admiring the beauty of his profile.

"Did you like my poem about you?" Peter asked, "Was it okay?"

Tony's lips curved up into the most delightful smile. "Peter, I adored it." He spoke honestly, "I'm touched that I mean so much to you, and I want nothing more than you to keep writing about me." 

The younger man was blushing, "I'm so glad," he replied. "Because I was really nervous, but the way you make me feel is like… butterflies and explosions and fireworks… you know?"

"I do know." Tony replied, "I know that I feel that way when you're around me." He spoke, "God, what we are doing is so morally and legally wrong. But I'm not sorry." The older man placed his hands over Peter's and squeezed it, turning to wink at him before going back to driving. 

"Me neither." Peter smiled widely, "I mean, firstly, I'm literally the luckiest person ever. Half the school has a crush on you, including the teachers. And I'm the one who gets to kiss you?" He bit his lip as he blushed hard. "Ahhh, It's still so surreal."

"For me too," Tony answered him. "I remember when we first kissed, and you turned up at mine, soaking wet. I honestly wanted to kiss you right there in the doorway."

"Really?!" Peter exclaimed, sitting up in his seat and pulling his legs up. "You should have!"

Tony chuckled. "I preferred how we did it. If I'm honest, with me standing behind you. It wasn't until I picked up the phone that I realised that I'd rather be with you."

"I'm glad this all happened." Peter concluded as he gazed out of the window. "If it wasn't for you letting me in that night, I don't know if I could be happy again."

"Me neither, darling boy." 

\---

They stopped a few streets away from Peter's place so they could kiss each other goodbye, neither of them wanting to let go. Peter's hands were in Tony's shirt as they kissed in the car, their lips moving against each other's in a loving way. 

When Peter pulled away he put his forehead on Tonys, eyes closed as he breathed heavily. "I'll never forget this weekend." He whispered, "And how you made me smile."

"Good." Tony replied, "Can I see you again soon? I have a feeling I'll miss you the moment you leave." He stroked the younger man's cheek. 

Peter's giggle was the most beautiful thing Tony's ever heard. It made him smile even harder.

"Of course. Tell me when Pepper's away next and I'm there, or if May's out, you can come over?" Peter asked, kissing him gently before pulling away and looking into his eyes with a pleading look.

"Yes, my love. We'll see each other very soon. And Pete?" 

"Yeah?" 

"I'm going to start looking for a place." Tony admitted as he moved back to stare at Peter and catch his facial expressions. "A place for me to move into when I break it off with Pepper."

Peter was incredibly happy, his eyes were filled with happiness and excitement. "That's amazing! Then I won't have to wait for her to leave so we can see each other!" 

"I mean… you could come live with me?" Tony asked him, "If you wanted to, that is. I know it'll be tricky to start with but we could make it work? I mean, we'll have to wait until you're eighteen."

The younger man answered with a kiss, a slow, deep, perfect one. His hands were in Tony's hair as the younger man moaned gently into the kiss. "Get us a garden." Peter whispered with a smile.

"Deal."

Before they left each other, the older man sent Peter all of the videos from the competition, so he had them all there to show May when he returned home. The moment he left Tony, his heart hurt because he missed him so much. 

\---

This is where things get harder for Peter. He walked up the stairs with a song in his heart and a spring in his step. He hummed a tune as he opened the front door, walking in with his bag and calling out for his aunt.

"May! I'm home! I have so much to show you, and I got you a present!" He called out as he put his bags down. He walked over to her bedroom to see if she was in, but there was no one there. 

Peter went to the fridge to check her work schedule, reading that she wasn't supposed to be working right now. He furrowed his brows, pulling out his phone and pressing the call button.

Moment's later, he heard May's phone ringing from the sofa. He put his phone into his pocket as he walked over to find it, but when he did, he found his aunt sprawled over the floor, unconscious. 

"May!" He panicked, as he rushed to her side and turned her over. "May! Can you hear me?" His eyes were watering as he tried to wake her up. He checked her pulse, realising she was still alive, he cradled her as he grabbed his phone.

"May, don't leave me, okay?" Peter cried as he called for an ambulance, waiting for them to answer. "I'm right here,"

The ambulance was on its way, and all Peter had to do was to look after her, make sure she kept breathing. The moment he hung up on the ambulance he called Tony, crying, sobbing loudly. 

"Miss me that badly, huh?" Tony answered with a smirk.

"Tony…" Peter cried, "May's unconscious… I don't know… she's breathing a little, I called… oh god," he sobbed as he was breathing and gasping so hard he was going to hyperventilate. 

"Oh god, okay, I'm turning the car around. Breathe for me, Peter, keep your hand on her pulse, dear god, I'm gonna run a stop sign," Tony was concerned, obviously, as anyone would be. He floored it down the roads as he spoke to Peter.

"May… May, don't leave me," Peter cried, sniffing as he cradled her body, "You're the only family I have!"

Over the phone, Tony's heart was hurting. He could hear Peter's voice breaking with misery and sorrow, and it made him cry too. Tears fell down his face as Peter begged May to stay with him.

"I won, May," he cried, "I won, and the money is for you, I'm gonna buy you whatever you want," tears fell off his face as he hugged into her. 

Tony's car skidded outside of the building, he parked it slightly on the pavement but he didn't care. He ran up the three flight of stairs and pushed open the door, rushing in and finding them both lying against the carpet. 

"Oh baby," Tony spoke as he came to Peter's side. "It's gonna be okay," he wiped Peter's crimson cheeks, "Go and wash your face, okay? And then look out for the ambulance, when they come, I'll carry her down so it's faster."

Peter nodded, his chin shaking as he found it hard to let his aunt go, "M… make sure shes b...breathing," 

Tony nodded, "Of course," he put a pillow under May's head and opened up her airways, listening to make sure she was breathing. He kept his fingers on her pulse, checking over her to make sure that she wasn't injured during her fall. 

The younger man rushed to the bathroom and washed his face before running to the window to look for an ambulance. As Tony looked around to see if there was something she could have used to hurt herself, he saw a prescription sitting on the table.

"Peter, honey, go and pack your aunt a bag for the hospital. Get her favourite pyjamas, okay?" Tony tried to keep calm as he convinced Peter to leave the room.

The younger man nodded and ran to his Aunt's room, gathering everything. Tony leaned over and picked up the prescription, reading them and realising it was a new, strong anti-depressant, one with bad side effects. He pocketed them to give to the paramedic when they arrived. 

The sirens came into earshot as Peter ran through with the bag. "They're here!" He exclaimed, "What do I do?"

Tony gently put his arms under May's legs and back, picking her up into his arms before walking towards Peter. "Lock up behind us, you'll go with her in the ambulance, I'll meet you there. It's gonna be okay," he comforted him before walking towards the door.

Peter was panicking. His heart was beating fast as he lost his ability to think straight. He had the bag on his back, so he followed Tony and locked the door. Boy, was he glad that Tony got here when he did, and how the man stayed so calm?! 

Everything was a haze as he sat holding her hand in the ambulance, he suddenly hated himself for enjoying this past weekend so much. He kept whispering to her that he'd never leave her again, that he'd always be there to protect her. 

At the hospital, Tony arrived shortly after May was brought in. Peter had to stay back and wait, and that's where Tony found him. He rushed over and pulled his young boyfriend into his arms, letting him cry against him. 

"What if she dies?" Peter asked as more treats escaped his eyes. "I can't lose her… she's all I have!"

"I know," Tony kissed his forehead, stroking him softly. "Things will be okay, I'm right here with you, it's going to be fine. Just keep breathing for me," 

It took Peter ten minutes to calm down in Tony's arms, holding him so tightly he thought they were one. The older man was so caring, so strong and brave. Right now, he was Peter's hero. Nothing felt real to him at this moment, so he held onto Tony's hand and kept it there. 

\---

Sitting on the sofa in the waiting room, Tony sat against the wall as Peter cuddled into him. The older man hummed the song "Smile" that he had sung previously to Peter all those nights ago. He stroked the younger man's arm.

Now Tony was far from a religious man, he didn't believe in a god. But he prayed to every single god he could think of to let this all be okay, to make sure that Peter didn't lose his only living relative. 

His poor boy. Peter was shaken up, he shouldn't have had to see that. Tony should have offered to walk him up and be there to find May instead. Tony met death a long time ago, but Peter had never seen it before. 

Not that May was dead, or they wouldn't be waiting for an update from the doctors. 

If he was honest? Tony was fucking terrified. When he saw May lying there, he nearly broke down, this sort of thing was unnerving and unsettling. But he took over the situation because Peter needed him to, Peter needed to feel his emotions, and Tony didn't want to make him feel bad about it.

As he gently stroked Peter's arm, he thought about the fact that school was going to start in ten hours, and neither of them would be able to go in.

Tony pulled out his phone and called the vice principal, the one who never really does anything but likes the title. 

"Uh, hello?" Mr. Moon answered, "It's 10pm."

"Hey, it's Tony. Listen, an unfortunate event happened after the contest and Mr. Parker and I are at the hospital. Everything will hopefully be okay, but we won't be in tomorrow. I need you to take over for the day," Tony explained as he watched Peter softly sleeping against him.

"Oh fuck, okay, sure thing. Is one of you hurt?"

Tony sighed, relieved that they were both okay, apart from emotionally fucked. "We'll be fine, just text me if you need me, you should be fine. I'll let you know as soon as I know," 

Mr. Moon agreed and hung up the phone, getting himself ready for his first real day of work tomorrow.

Peter snuggled into him, sniffling as his hand searched for Tony's. The older man held his hand, whispering words of comfort. "I'm here, kiddo. I'm not leaving, you just rest."


	19. May's Angels

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's a bit at the end thats so cute I cried and sent it to my friend and we cried together over the cuteness 🥺
> 
> @sulphuriccherry on twitter

It had been forty minutes before anything happened. Peter slept in Tony's arms as they awaited a doctor to come out and tell them what was going on. When someone did, Tony stroked Peter's arm to wake him up. 

Peter raised his tired head, opening his eyes and realising a doctor was approaching them. He wiped his eyes and sat up, holding onto Tony's hand. 

"Mr. Parker?" The doctor asked.

"Uh, yeah, that's me." Peter yawned as he sat up straight, "Is my aunt okay?"

The doctor nodded, pulling a chair across and sitting down. She had a very friendly smile on her face, but it didn't seem to make Peter feel much better. "Your Aunt is going to be okay, I'm doctor Sweets."

Peter let out a deep breathe, smiling as happy tears filled his eyes before turning to Tony and looking at him. Tony smiled back at him and turned to the doctor, "What happened? And what do we have to do to make sure it doesn't happen again?"

"Well," the doctor said calmly. "Your wife has had a bad reaction to her new antidepressants." She told Tony. "The dosage wasn't right for her and something in it didn't agree with her chemical make up. So she became extremely dizzy and disoriented and fell over, hitting her head. She'll need to come off her medication, and take a few days to rest."

Peter had no intention of correcting the good doctor on her mistake about their relationship, as long as they assumed they're family, Tony could stay with him. 

The younger man was confused and upset with this new information. "I… I had no idea that she was even on medication… she never told me." He frowned as he looked down at the floor, "Why didn't she just tell me?"

"She probably didn't want you to worry." Sweets spoke, "Mother's have a way of protecting their kids. The first thing she said when she woke up was to ask us if you were okay,"

Peter smiled slightly and nodded, even though he felt like he was about to cry. It was like his Aunt was living a life that he didn't know about. He knew she was stressed and busy, but he had no idea she had depression. He just didn't see it.

"Can… can we see her?" Peter asked, his chin wobbling slightly. "I miss her. Can I take her home? Can I hug her?"

Dr. Sweets smiled as she stood up, "You can follow me and see her. She'll have to spend the night here and after she consults with the nurse tomorrow morning, she can go home, but I would definitely suggest giving her as many hugs as you both want." 

Peter stood up, grabbing Tony's hand and pulling him along after the doctor. "Pete," Tony whispered, "I don't think it's a good idea that I come."

The younger man stopped and stared up at him. "You have to," he whispered sadly, "She needs to know I have someone to support me."

"But what if she's unhappy about me being here? I'm supposed to just be your teacher," Tony spoke in a hushed voice. 

"But you're not." Peter told him bluntly. "You're my boyfriend, and…" he sighed heavily, closing his eyes for a moment. He spoke with sincerity. "If you want to leave, you can leave," he conceded. "I just… I would really like it if you stayed with me."

Tony looked around them, realising no one was there except the doctor who was waiting on the elevator to open for them. He kissed Peter's forehead, "Okay baby. Let's go see her."

He took the younger man's hand and walked with him to the elevator. It took them six minutes to walk to where May was being looked after. She had a room that was semi-private, her and another woman who was fast asleep. 

Dr. Sweets opened the door and stepped inside, "May, some visitors for you. You have a very worried little boy here," she smiled.

Peter walked in and saw his aunt lying in bed, she looked exhausted as hell, but she had a smile on her face just seeing him. Peter ran up to her and hugged her tightly. 

Tony walked in behind him, thanking Dr. Sweets before she left them alone. He stood and watched as Peter hugged his aunt, crying softly into her as he told her how much he loves her. He didn't really think it was appropriate to be here, and yeah, there was a huge chance that May could easily find out about them. So he kept quiet and at a distance. 

"May," Peter sniffed, sitting up. "Why didn't you tell me you were taking medication? I wanna be there for you!"

May half smiled and stroked his hair, "I don't want you to have to deal with my issues, pickle. You're a young man, you don't need me to make things bad for you."

"But I want to be here for you!" Peter spoke up, "We only have each other," he told her as they hugged again. May held him close and smiled, stroking his hair as she opened her eyes and spied Mr. Stark standing looking awkward.

"Oh!" May smiled, holding onto Peter's hand and sitting up. "Looks like we have a visitor, hey there Mr. Stark!" She spoke to him. "How come you're here?"

Tony really didn't know what to say, but he pulled it off rather fast. "I brought Peter home from the competition, and I thought I'd come along so he has someone to drive him home afterwards,"

"Thank you so much!" May smiled, her eyes looked tired but she was trying her best to sound happy. "I'm so glad there's someone there for my Peter," she stroked Peter's cheek. "Tell me all about the competition, did you win?"

Peter told her all about it and showed her the videos, sitting on the bed with her and leaving out all the inappropriate parts of the weekend. Tony pulled up a seat and talked with them both, talking up Peter's talents and helping her have a reason to smile.

May cried when she found out that Peter won, and she cried harder when he said he was giving her the prize money. Whether it was the time of night or the situation, Tony didn't feel out of place. He didn't feel like a head teacher, he actually… he felt like family!

"I could help you, you know?" Tony offered to them both. "I know that things are going to be tight with money, I can help you out with food or something."

"I couldn't ask you to do that -" 

Tony put his hand up, "No, I insist, let me do something. I'm getting my book published, I've got a monthly salary, and my wife earns enough for the house." He smiled at her. "Let me give you something for the next month's rent so you can recover?"

May nodded and reached out her hand to hold Stark's. "Thank you," she smiled, pulling her hand away. "I couldn't be more sorry about putting you both through this."

Peter shook his head, "Don't say sorry." He held her hand and spoke to her with sincerity, "Just get better."

\-------

When Tony got home, he collapsed on the sofa at 3am. He was shattered and in dire need of a really long sleep. They stayed with May for an hour before leaving, grabbing food on the way back. They ate it in the car before Peter grabbed his bag and came back to the car. 

Tony had decided that Peter was staying with him tonight, that there wasn't going to be any school for them tomorrow. He sent Peter upstairs for a bath and to snuggle into bed, while he took five minutes to make sure everything was going to be fine tomorrow without him. He sent a few emails to the staff before shutting his laptop down.

He thought about how he is a million percent sure that Peter is what he wants, and that this feels right to him. It slightly scared him also, how he could just slide right in and forget that he has a wife?

Pepper wasn't actually due home for 2 days or so, so he didn't have to worry about things until then. He could hear Peter getting out of the bath and heading towards the bed, which is when Tony came upstairs. 

He leaned against the door and watched as Peter dried himself off, getting into his night clothes. "Hey you,"

Peter sleepily looked up at him, his skin slightly red from the heat. "Hi," he smiled weakly. "I wanna sleep tonight,"

Tony nodded as he stepped inside. "Don't worry, baby. I'm not going to touch you, I'm tired too." He pulled off his shirt and threw it on the ground. 

"But… could you hold me?" Peter asked sadly, biting his lips as he opened the duvet and climbed in. "And maybe kiss me?"

The older man smirked, "Of course," he stepped into the bathroom for a quick wash before following his boyfriend to bed. 

When he got inside, he turned off the light from his bedside table, he wrapped his arms around the younger man. Peter snuggled in as close as he could, resting his head on Tony's chest. "Thank you," he whispered with his eyes closed. "For being my person."

Stark stroked him, as he too, began to fall asleep. "I always will be."

\------

The next day, Tony drove Peter to the hospital and returned with both him and May. They were dropped off at the flat with an envelope of money that Tony had forced them to take for their rent. He knew he was going to have to explain to his wife why so much fucking money was disappearing from his account, but he'd rather the Parkers had it.

For Peter though, he was having a really hard time with it all. For a while there, he thought he had lost his only living relative and that terrified the shit out of him. There was no way he was going to leave her now, he needed them to be okay. 

Tony had given him a few days off of school, letting him settle in with May and be there for her. So that's exactly what Peter did, he spent the next three days cooking and cleaning as well as making sure she took her meds and had reasons to smile. 

He also called into her work and decided to take over her shifts, coming in on his break to make sure she was okay. May hated seeing Peter skipping school to help her out, it made her feel like a terrible guardian. 

\---

On Wednesday, when Peter was away for his lunch shift, May got a knock at the door. She walked over and looked through the spy hole, realising it was the lovely gentleman she had met from Peter's first poetry reading. 

Opening the door, she smiled, "Chef Hogan! What are you doing here?"

The man was slightly nervous, he had a smile on his face just from seeing her but was terrified about being shut down. May found it adorable. 

"Well, I heard Mr. Stark talking about how Peter was off to look after his aunt, and I thought, nothing helps someone feel better than homemade soup," he smiled as he held up a bag with a soup container inside. "I'm sorry to be so forward, I just thought we hit it off."

May's smile was dazzling, she opened the door for him. "Come on in,"

The two of them sat at the table with Chef Hogan's homemade soup, talking and getting to know each other. May had no problem coming clean to him about things that had been going on with her, and it felt good to actually open up to someone who was really listening. 

"I have to admit," Chef Hogan spoke, "I really like you. I'm sorry if that sounds crazy, and even after everything you've told me… I just like you so much." He spoke honestly.

"That's good," May grinned, "Because I rather like you too, though I feel stupid telling you all this when I don't actually know your name," May laughed as she finished her soup. 

"Well, it's Harold." He told her, "There isn't really a nickname for that," he joked. 

"I have one for you," May commented, touching his hand and smiling sweetly. "It's the first thing I felt when I saw it was you at the door." 

"Oh yeah?" Harold raised an eyebrow, "What is it?" Looking down at their hands touching. 

May smiled, "Happy."

The man blushed hard as he smiled and looked into her eyes. "Then Happy it is."


	20. Chapter 20

Peter had been run off of his feet lately. Either he was at school, learning everything he could between naps, or at the diner taking May's shifts whilst studying. Although his Aunt said she was better now, and wasn't okay with Peter doing so much, he refused to give in.

It was terrifying, thinking that he could lose her like that. And if keeping her from stressing and getting her into therapy was what he had to do to keep her around then that's exactly what would happen. There were nights where he would only get three hours sleep, which was really hard on the quality of work he was creating, as well as his relationship with his perfect man. 

Mr. Stark stood in front of the class, talking about the beauty that was Sylvia Plath, when he looked over to his sweet boyfriend who was sitting at the back of the classroom. Peter looked incredibly exhausted, he had bags under his eyes and had to keep himself from falling asleep by sipping at an energy drink. 

Tony hated seeing Peter like that, it broke his heart to see the younger man trying so hard to live a good life. The worst thing was that Peter was way too young to be having this type of pressure and responsibility put onto his shoulders. His perfect, soft shoulders.

God, Stark missed him. 

As he got the class to do some work, Tony sat at the table and thought about how much he missed Peter. They hadn't had any time together for two weeks! At lunch time, Peter would quickly eat and then nap, and there wasn't much free time between them. 

It sucked! It wasn't just the sex he missed, it was Peter's smile. The light in his eyes when he laughed that beautiful laugh, the touch of his hand when they sat next to each other and talked. Peter's scent of cherries, his warmth, his heart. And of course the sex! 

Since he had promised Peter not to sleep with his wife, he had kept to that promise. But wow had he been in the mood. Tony found himself taking long showers more often than usual, fantasising about his secret boyfriend. 

Pepper had tried to initiate a sexual encounter a few times, but it stirred nothing inside of Tony. Not anymore, not since he's realised who he is and what he wants. It's been hard on her, Tony has found. She sulks a lot. But Tony always finds a way to get out of it. 

Peter was a breathtaking specimen of a man. Everything about him was enchanting, intoxicating, mesmerising and addictive. The younger man wanted him in a way no one had ever wanted him before, and Tony loved him and wanted him just as much. 

After class, Tony asked Peter to stay behind, just to see if he was okay. Everyone cleared out and Peter tiredly walked to the front of the class. The older man locked the door and walked towards him. 

"Hey sunshine," Tony smiled, sitting on the edge of his desk and holding his hand out. "You look tired."

Peter nodded as he yawned, the teenager was an adorable mess as he stood forward and slid his arms around Tony's waist, cuddling into his chest. "I'm exhausted."

The older man gently kissed his curls and held him lovingly, "I know sweetheart, you've been doing so much."

"Yeah," Peter replied, eyes closed as he breathed in Tony's scent. "Miss you,"

Tony chuckled, "I miss you too my angel. What's say we spend some time together this week? Pepper left yesterday, and will be back in three days."

"I wish I could," Peter looked up to him with bags under his eyes, a sleepy smile and a sad glint in his perfect brown eyes. "I have to work so May can pay for therapy."

"How much is it?"

"Like… sixty dollars an hour," Peter yawned. "And I have an essay to do for… fuck I don't even know which class. It's in my notes somewhere,"

Tony took pity upon the younger man, "Darling, let me pay for therapy and come spend the night with me. I'll look after you? We don't have to do anything, just as long as you eat something and sleep."

Peter smiled weakly, "That… that actually sounds really nice. I'd enjoy that," he cuddled back into Tony's chest. God. He'd missed how the older man smelled, and how his arms felt around him. 

Mr. Stark smiled sweetly, "Yeah?" He asked, gently stroking Peter's hair, breathing out contentedly. "I'd really like that. I've missed you so much."

"I'm sorry, Tony." Peter said sadly, "I should be a better boyfriend, there's just so much going on."

"You're not alone, don't ever think you are." Tony kissed his head again, lingering and holding him closer against his body. "You're a perfect boyfriend. Just let me look after you."

\---

When Peter got home that day, he told May that he was going out for the night but made sure that she was okay. In all honesty, she was going stir crazy being in the house. But with Peter gone, she could invite over her new fancy man.

Chef Harold 'Happy' Hogan, had been quite important to her the last two weeks since they had soup that day. He'd text her in the morning, and would make sure that she ate. She was really sweet on him and he was extremely into her as well. 

As the younger man got changed and left with his bags to Neds, or that's what she was told, May contacted Happy and told him that the house was free, and he was all too happy to come over right away.

Tony had been waiting outside in the car for him outside, tapping away on the wheel as he realised that they were almost down to a month before the younger man turned eighteen. Soon, he'd be telling Pepper that their relationship was over and moving out.

He'd actually found a little place, it was quite nice but further away from Peter and the school than he'd hoped. It was probably around a forty minute drive, but it was everything he really wanted. There were two bedrooms, a garden, enough room for all of his books and his desk, and was actually extremely fair on price. Tony was going to ask Peter what he thought before putting in an offer, but he definitely had his eye on it.

Peter opened the car door and crawled in, sleeping in his seat until they got to Tony's.   
Not that the older man minded, as long as Peter was okay and with him.

When they got inside, the two of them snuggled up on the sofa with their comfortable sleepwear on and picked at some food that they rounded up from the kitchen. Peter was snuggled into his side, under his strong arm as the two of them watched Hot Fuzz together. 

"I've seen this like… fifty times." Peter confessed as he ate a chip. "It's that good."

Tony chuckled deeply, his voice vibrating against the younger man's body. "I've not seen it that many times," he laughed. "But I've seen it a few times, I quite enjoy it too."

Peter reached for Tony's hand and held it in his own. He spoke sincerely as he stared at their fingers entwining. "I've missed this. Just… being with you," he admitted. "You're always on my mind."

That felt amazing for Tony to hear, because it had been so long since he'd heard something so sweet. He was beginning to think all this time apart that the younger man was losing interest in him. "I think about you all the time too,"

"I've missed kissing you." Peter moved so he was sitting up, "And touching you… and being touched by you." He looked up into Tony's eyes, "Do you miss that too?"

The older man smiled, "So much." He raised his hand and gently stroked the younger man's cheek, watching as Peter's eyes gazed into his. "You make me so happy. I'm glad you're here,"

"How glad?" Peter smirked, leaning in close to the older man and rubbing their noses together gently. 

"Glad enough to make you feel amazing," Tony whispered against his lips, "You deserve to be looked after my love, let me take care of you."

The younger man moaned as he tilted his head and pressed in for a kiss, capturing the older man's lips. Tony moved along with him, still cradling his face as they began to nibble at each other's lips. Tony had missed this so much. He placed his hands on Peter's waist and pulled him onto his lap, opening up the kiss and going in deeper, tasting his perfect boy. 

The older man's hands slid up Peter's warm back, under his shirt, holding him close as they snogged. Peter's hand was in Tony's hair, grasping at it as he moved against him. He could feel himself getting hard almost immediately and was happy to feel that his partner was too.

"Tony," Peter whispered against his lips as he gently rolled his hips. "I want to be loved,"

Tony smiled against him, rubbing their noses together. "You are loved," he replied. "Let me lead."

Stark easily maneuvered them so Peter was sitting on the couch, kissing him softly as he took off the younger man's shirt. "There he is," the older man said as he kneeled between Peter's legs, his warm, large hands caressing Peter's chest and down to his legs. "There's my boy,"

Peter blushed as he bit down on his lip. His nipples were hard as Tony kissed along the hem of his trousers. His cock twitched in need, aching to be touched again. It felt like it had been so long since this last happened. 

Tony slowly removed Peter's trousers, kissing at his perfect, milky thighs as they were uncovered. How could anyone be as perfect as this? His hands massaged Peter's thighs before removing his underwear, kissing his skin everywhere he could.

"Tony," Peter breathed as he held onto the older man's hair, "Please."

"Your wish is my command," Tony whispered as he kissed around his cock, pulling Peter's legs further apart. He moved his head down as he pulled Peter's hips closer to him and up at a slight angle. "Just close your eyes and enjoy yourself,"

Peter did as he was told and let his eyes fall shut. He felt Tony's hot breath against his skin as it moved lower than he expected it to. Before he knew it, the lip he loved so much attached themselves to his hole. Tony began to eat him out, using his tongue to circle the muscle before dipping inside. 

"Ohjesus," Peter breathed heavily, his head lying back against the sofa as his throbbing cock ached. It felt so amazing that Peter couldn't hardly think in coherent thoughts. 

Tony's tongue was dipping inside his perfect pink asshole, kissing it and covering it with saliva. His hands grasped at Peter's thighs as he went in hungrier, eating it out with more energy as he felt Peter's body react perfectly to it. The younger man was writhing and moaning, pulling at his hair.

"Tony… ohmygod, I'm… that's so fucking good… fuck, Tony!" 

The older man trailed his kisses up the younger man's inner thighs and towards his balls. He took them in his mouth and sucked at them as he heard Peter moan out loudly. "GOD! I've missed you!" 

Tony's lips found their way to Peter's needy cock, sucking at the head before sliding down, taking him fully into his mouth. He didn't realise until now how much he had missed this. Peter tasted fucking amazing, and every time the younger man moaned it made him harder in his trousers. 

He deepthroated him, sucking hard as he bobbed his head along Peter's cock, the younger man crying out as he thrust up into his mouth. 

They were so lost in the moment that they didn't hear the door open. There were silent footsteps slowly making their way along the corridor, but Tony was too busy moaning around Peter's dick to notice. 

"Tony please!" Peter exclaimed, "I love you so much, oh god… I wanna cum!" His skin was sweaty and tinged pink as he bit down hard on his bottom lip, thrusting into Tony harder. 

The older man hummed around his cock, looking up at him through his perfect long lashes. Peter was cumming hard within seconds, crying out as Tony drank him down.

"FUCK, TONY!" He cried out loudly, breathing heavily as he pulled Tony's head towards him for a kiss. 

As Tony crawled up his body, his eyes caught movement in the doorway behind the couch. "Peter," he whispered. "I'm so sorry," 

"Oh please." A female voice spoke up, "Don't let me interrupt." 

As soon as Pepper spoke, Peter and Tony jumped out of their skin. Tony stood up as fast as he could, looking up to see her standing in the doorway with the angriest look on her face. Peter fell onto the floor, naked and terrified as he hid behind the couch. Tony had started to panic, not knowing what to do, he was breathing heavily as he felt his face heat up.

"Pep!" Tony exclaimed with surprise, worriedly looking down at Peter who was trying to find his clothes. He had never been more scared in his life, and had hoped that Pepper didn't know who Peter was, or what his age was.

"What the FUCK do you think you're doing?!" Pepper shouted, picking up Peter's shirt from the side of the couch, and chucking it at Tony. Her face was bright red with anger as she screamed at him.

"I KNEW YOU WERE CHEATING ON ME!" She shouted, "Just how long has this been going on? And don't fucking lie to me!" Pepper picked up one of Peter's shoes and chucked it at Tony. "Get your little whore dressed and out of my house!"

Tony leaned down and gave Peter his clothes, guarding him with his body so he could get dressed. He was facing his wife with a worried look. "Pep, I'm so sorry, it wasn't supposed to be like this," he tried to explain himself. "It just happened,"

"Just happened?" She repeated. "JUST HAPPENED?" Pepper pulled out her phone, "Looks like it didn't 'just happen' because I was sent this a few weeks ago!" She showed him the picture that Stephanie had taken of them at the competition. Not that they knew it was from Stephanie.

"Oh fuck," Tony gasped, worried as he looked up to Pepper. "Honey, I'm sorry, I'm just… we're…"

"I don't want any fucking excuses! Who is this little slut, huh?" Pepper spat at him, tears forming in her eyes.

Tony looked down to see that Peter was dressed, he turned around and slowly helped him to stand. Still blocking Pepper's view with his body. He caught Peter's worried eyes with his own, "I love you, don't forget that." Tony whispered as he took his hand, "You're gonna be okay." 

"WELL?" Pepper raised her voice again. "Is it one of the neighbours? If it's fucking Vincent I'm going to start breaking things!" A tear excited her eye, streaming down her bright red cheeks. 

Tony turned around, keeping his hand in Peter's as he refused to move out of the way. "It's not them, please Pepper, just let him leave," 

"I can't BELIEVE YOU!" Pepper screamed, "Shagging some guy all this time! I deserve to know who it is! I didn't even know you liked men, Tony! HOW DARE YOU DO THIS TO ME?! WHO IS HE?!"

Peter was shaking, his entire body filled with anxiety. This was never supposed to happen but in a way he guessed it was inevitable. There's only so many times you can fuck someone else in your house before your spouse catches you.

The younger man was about to cry, gently touching Tony's waist as he whispered. "It's okay," he told his boyfriend. Tony closed his eyes, preparing to be murdered as Peter stepped out from behind him, young, scared and panicking.

Pepper's face dropped, her heart fell out of her ass as she realised it was one of the boys from Tony's class. At school. Something inside of her was conflicting, because she believed that none of this could be the younger man's fault. He was too young to be in control here.

"You poor thing," Pepper cried, tears streaming down her face. She took a few steps back and clutched at her chest. "You're… you're a child," she reached out her hand to him. "Come here, I'm… I'm gonna protect you,"

Peter didn't know what to do, he was visibly shaking, his chin shivering as he was crying without even realising it. He looked to Pepper and then to Tony, feeling himself going into a panic.

"Get away from this man," Pepper urged him. "He's dirty and disgusting, he shouldn't have touched you, I'm gonna call the police and everything will be alright." 

Peter shook his head, standing between the both of them, "Please don't call the police!" He sobbed, "I don't… I don't want this to be worse… I'm… please let me go,"

"It's okay, baby." Tony told him through his blurry eyes, "Go and get yourself to safety. Take my wallet and get a taxi home."

"Don't call him your baby!" Pepper snapped, through her anger and misery. "He's young enough to actually be your child, you revolting pervert!" She reached over and took Peter's hand, pulling him away from Tony. "Go and sit in my car, I'll drive you home, your mother will be worried sick about where you are."

Peter was trembling with fear, "My mother's dead," he confessed out of panic, terrified of being alone with the woman.

Pepper burst into tears and hugged him, "You poor thing, Tony's really taken advantage of you, hadn't he?" She pulled away and gave him her car keys. "Please go, I'll be there in two minutes."

Peter looked to Tony, who was wearing the most horrified, upsetting expression on his face. They looked eyes for a moment, and the older man nodded at him to do as Pepper said. The more Pepper thought that Peter was innocent in all of this, the better for the younger man's safety. 

Peter walked out and ran to the car, getting in the back and sobbing into his hands as he waited for the woman he'd never wanted to meet.

Pepper had to catch her breath, she was hurt, disgusted and had never been more angry in her life. She turned to her husband, shaking her head as tears left white marks down her bright red face. 

"You monster." She spoke through gritted teeth. "You vile, DISGUSTING MONSTER!" 

Tony was finding it hard to breathe, "It's not… it's not what you think," 

"IT'S EXACTLY WHAT I THINK!" Pepper screamed at him. "Now I'm gonna bring that poor, sweet boy home to whoever is going to look after him, and you're going to be here when I get back. I'd pack a bag." She physically spat at him before leaving the house, slamming the door and getting into her car. 

Tony fell to the ground, crying as he held into his chest, trying to figure out what the fuck to do. He pulled out his phone and texted Peter as fast as he could.

 **Tony** ; _'Everything is going to be okay. Play dumb, get home safe. Text me when you're home. Don't tell her anything. I'll contact you asap, I love you, don't forget that. I'm yours.'_

He had a good twenty minutes to calm himself down and pack as many things as he could.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Thanks for continuing to read, you guys make my days! Keep comments and follow me on my private twitter @sulphuriccherry


	21. Consequences

As Pepper got into the car, she looked back to see Peter shaking and crying into the seat. He was utterly broken and it made her heart break, realising he must have only been seventeen. "Come and sit in the front," she said as sweetly as she could, wiping her eyes. Pepper wanted to stay strong in front of the younger man.

Peter was fucking petrified, but didn't want to anger her in anyway so did as she said. He climbed into the passenger seat and did his seatbelt, shivering as he tried to breathe. 

"You're okay," Pepper spoke as they started to drive down the road. "Just let me know where to go, and I'll get you home safely. You don't have to worry anymore,"

Peter nodded, wiping his eyes. "I'm so sorry," he said to her through his misery. "I'm such a bad person,"

"No." The woman spoke, "You're not, you're just a kid. You deserve to be kept safe by your teachers," she tried not to burst into tears again. "I'm sorry your school couldn't keep you safe, I will pay for councillors if you need it." 

The younger man closed his eyes as the tears wouldn't stop flowing. "I uh, the next left." He said to her, "I… I didn't mean to hurt you,"

"Hush," Pepper tried to smile at him, "You didn't, he did. You didn't know, okay?" She pulled around the corner. "Who have you got at home?"

"My aunt," Peter spoke quietly, "She's all that's left."

It was all Pepper could do not to crash the car from crying her eyes out. This poor boy had been through so much pain and trauma, and adding whatever her husband did to him to the list… she just wanted to save him. 

Peter wanted to die. The woman he had convinced himself was satan, was actually really sweet. She was caring, kind and really good natured. It made him feel like shit because he had knowingly been in a relationship with a married man, and had convinced himself that since he was never going to meet her so it was okay.

"From now on," Pepper told him, "You're going to be okay. No one can hurt you anymore."

They arrived at Peter's place not seven minutes later. "Do you need money? My number? Can I get your name at least?"

Peter undid his belt and fidgeted with his hands. "Uh, I don't need money, my name is Peter." He sniffled, "I'll be okay when I'm inside. My aunt will be there, she's a good person."

"That's good, you need someone to help you. Do you need me to come and talk to your aunt with you?" 

"I'm… I'm embarrassed," Peter whispered, "I'm scared what will happen, please don't send Mr. Stark to jail, please! I… I know what happened was… so… so wrong," he wiped his eyes. 

Pepper sighed, "How far did it go? Did he… did he have sex with you, Peter?" She leaned in, terrified of hearing the answer she was dreading.

Peter automatically shook his head quickly, "No, that was it, that… that was the first thing," he lied through his teeth. "It was just kissing until now,"

The woman nodded and clenched her jaw. "Leave it with me, just make sure you're safe okay?" She looked at him with sympathy. "I'll watch you until you're in the building."

"Th… thank you," Peter replied, unable to look her in the eyes. "I appreciate you driving me home," he got out of the car and all but ran to his apartment.

\--- 

As soon as Peter got into the building, he made sure that Pepper had left before he pulled out his phone and called Tony, who answered immediately. 

"Peter! Baby, are you okay?" Tony sniffed as he hurried around his room, finding things to pack up. "Are you home?"

"Yes," Peter breathed out as he sat on the top stair nearest his front door. "I'm home, I didn't say anything bad," he closed his eyes and leaned against the wall. 

"Oh darling," Tony spoke softly, "How was the journey? What happened?"

"Well," Peter sniffled as he rubbed his cheeks. "I told her that was the first and only sexual thing we've done, and… and I told her that I'm sorry,"

"What did she say?"

"That it's not my fault, and she'll pay for a councillor," Peter breathed as he leaned against the wall. "I asked her not to send you to jail… Tony, I'm so worried."

The older man sighed as he continued to pack, "I know, I know darling. But I'll get in contact okay? I don't know what's going to happen, or what Pepper is going to do. This might be a fucking disaster,"

Peter clenched his eyes shut, speaking fast as he let it all out. "I hope not, I love you. I love you so much and I don't want to stop seeing you, Tony, you're the most important person, I'm so in love with you, don't leave me,"

Tony was crying on the other side of the phone, "I love you too, I promise baby, we'll see each other soon. I'll try my best to be here, I promise," 

"She'll be there soon, whatever happens, let me know how you are, please, please, Tony." Peter pleaded, "Keep in contact."

"You know I will," Tony whispered, sitting on the edge of his bed. "I wish I kissed you before I acknowledged her," he sighed, "I miss your kisses. I promise to kiss you again."

Peter smiled through his tears, "I can't wait," he told him. "I wish it was now."

"Me too, sweet boy. I need to hang up now, but please remember that from now until the moment I die, you're my man. I love you,"

"I love you too." Peter cried into his hands, "I love you so much."

\---

When Pepper came back in the house, she was more calm and collected. The most important thing to her was that the younger man was safe and away from her husband.   
She could hear Tony packing upstairs, but she needed five minutes to get the nerve to go confront him.

As she walked up stairs after having a cup of tea, she walked into the bedroom to find Tony with three luggage bags. Pepper sighed as she leaned against the wall, arms crossed over her chest.

"Why?" She asked plainly.

Tony paused, standing up and turning to face her. He looked exhausted and his eyes were puffy. "I'm gay," he told her, "I figured it out a few months ago."

Pepper clenched her jaw and nodded. "You could have just told me." She commented. "And maybe found someone your own age. He's a child, you pervert."

Tony nodded, perching on the side of the bed. "It wasn't meant." He shrugged. "I was mentoring him. And we got close. I didn't know he felt anything until he wrote a poem about me… and I got so emotional that I kissed him." He had a few minutes between the phone call and his wife's return to come up with something to tell her.

"And he was okay with that?" Pepper asked him.

"Yeah. He, uh, he fell for me. And I fell for him." Tony turned to her, on the edge of his mental health as he weakly looked into her eyes. "Nothing big happened, it was just talking and the odd kiss. What you witnessed was the first thing, I swear. He… he needed a man in his life, and I liked being that man."

His wife sat beside him on the bed, not close enough to touch. "And he's the only one?"

Tony nodded. "The only other person. The only man. The only person from school."

Pepper sat for a minute in silence. She thought about her options. Although she truly believed in her heart that anyone who did something like this should go to jail, she saw the look in Peter's eyes as he pleaded to her. 

Peter had lost so much. And Tony was a good man, for the most part. Yes, Peter was a kid, but he wasn't 13. He was almost a man, and he seemed to attach himself to Tony.

She loved Tony, and had known him for so long, that now she was thinking clearly, she knew that he wasn't a paedophile. He didn't have that inside of him. But it was still disgusting and a crime, so he had to have some sort of consequence for his actions. 

"Do you love him?"

Tony swallowed hard, looking down at his feet. "I do," he whispered. "It's sick, but he's 18 in a month. He's nearly graduated. And he's so mature for his age,"

Pepper watched his face before replying. "That doesn't make it right," she said softly. "You can't be a teacher anymore."

The man looked to her, furrowed eyebrows as he tried to read her face. "What are you going to do? Do I need a lawyer?"

Pepper sat up straight. "No," she replied as she stood up, leaning her back against the wall. "It'll be my money that goes on a lawyer and I'm not happy giving you any. I'm not calling the police. Peter doesn't need this in the news, and I know you're not a creep. Much." She shook her head and rubbed her forehead. "But you have to resign being a teacher, I'm not letting you go into school again to look after all those children."

Tony took in the information, some of him felt relieved, but the rest of him felt like it was being hit by a train. He loved being a teacher, but this was fair, he'd rather give up being a teacher than go to jail.

"Okay," he nodded. "Can I make up an excuse for why I'm leaving?"

"Yes, tell them whatever you want." Pepper told him, "All I want is to make sure this doesn't happen again. In case you haven't realised, this marriage is over."

"That's fair." He leaned forward and put his head in his hands. "Thank you,"

"This isn't for you." Pepper told him, "This is for Peter. You can sleep on the sofa tonight, but tomorrow you need to find a place and I want you out, do you understand me?"

"I do." Tony nodded. "I really am sorry, you know. I was scared about being… being who I am, really."

"It's okay to be gay." Pepper replied, "What's not okay is hurting everyone around you. That poor boy was a mess in the car, telling me that he's sorry like this is all his fault. You're supposed to look after children in your profession, Tony."

Stark leaned forward and rubbed his face, breathing in heavily. "You're right. I fucked up and I only have myself to blame. I'll leave my post as principal, and I'll leave. Just please… please don't tell people about this." He looked up worriedly to his wife.

"Not a word." Pepper sighed, "But only because Peter asked me not to. I know you, Tony. I know you're not one of those paedophiles you hear about in the news, but… I can't let you get away with just a slap on the wrist."

"I understand," he whispered, staring into the carpet. "I'm sorry."

\-----

10am and Tony was lying on the couch, flicking through his phone before sleeping. Things were a lot better than he'd hoped they would be, but they were also a lot worse. He loved teaching, and saying goodbye to it after enjoying it so much was going to be hard.

He put in an offer on the apartment he'd found. He didn't know whether Peter would come with him, but he knew this place was just right for him. Tony was sort of relieved now that it was all out in the open, he didn't have to run around and hide behind Pepper's back. 

Tony texted Peter before bed, just so the younger man knew he was okay.

 **Tony** ; _'She's not calling the police. I have to resign. I love you and will see you tomorrow after school.'_

\---

The next day was a long one for Tony. Pepper had taken the day off to come with him into the school, there was paperwork to sort out and people to contact, it was going to take a while to sort out his leave.

The excuse he came up with was divorce and bad mental health. He hinted that he wasn't strong enough not to go back to his past addictions and that it would be wrong for him to work with children under that condition. The staff and the board seemed to buy it. He then named the vice principal as the new head, and issued a newsletter informing families of the change of staff.

Although it was just Pepper who knew the real reason, Tony was ashamed. Embarrassed. Humiliated. He hated himself, and he hated every part of this day. He'd thrown away so much of his life! Tony could have lost everything!! He was so close to losing his life to jail and disgusting labels. 

But he closed his eyes and thought about Peter, and that got him through the day. Peter's smile. That made it all better.

Luckily, before he and Pepper left the office, he received a phone call from the housing agency, and as a fantastic little strike of luck bit him, he got the little apartment he wanted. It was weird how it all seemed to fit together, Tony assumed he'd have to get a hotel for a week or two, but the owner wanted rid of it as soon as possible. 

At least he had something good to tell Peter.


	22. What Came Next

As soon as the paperwork and hours of phone calls and emails were done with and out of the way, Tony travelled to his new apartment to get the keys. 

To think that not twenty-four hours ago he had everything! It wasn't really the marriage ending that bothered him, because he was over that a while ago. But to leave his home and his job was beyond hell, especially considering the house was his to begin with. But Pepper was right, there had to be repercussions for his actions, and giving up being a teacher and moving out was hardly punishment enough, but it'll do. 

Pepper was nice enough to help him pack and move. Tony liked to think it's because she was a better person than he'd originally thought, but according to her she just wanted to get him out as soon as possible. 

It took hours to schlep all of Tony's stuff to the new place. Although Tony originally thought that the place was forty minutes away, it ended up being a lot farther than that. Pepper told him to take whatever he wanted, the downstairs TV, the sofa bed, whatever he could take in the hour or two that he was allowed inside the house.

When it was time to say goodbye, she couldn't even look at him. She stood there silently at the door, holding his jacket to give to him. But she couldn't part with it. 

"I loved you." She stated. "I know I was distant, maybe if I had been around for you more than just twice a month things would be different."

Tony shrugged, "I don't know, Pepper. All I know is that… I'm sorry." He leaned against the open door, "And I loved you too."

The woman nodded, her cheeks a little red as she peered up at him. "I'll miss you." She whispered, "But I don't think I want to see you again. Since we've both put money into the joint account we'll just split what's in there."

"That sounds like a good idea." He agreed, "If that ever changes, about seeing me I mean, you have my number." Tony half smiled, "Just mail me the divorce papers."

Pepper handed over the jacket, itching to get away. "Don't break him." She warned Tony, "Peter I mean. I don't care what you do to yourself. But if you hurt that kid, I'll hurt you." She threatened him in a serious tone before letting go of the coat. "I'll send you the papers."

\----

Let's rewind and go back to Peter's day. When he got home, he walked in to find Chef Hogan sitting on the couch with May curled up into him. All Peter wanted to do was cry and sit in his Aunt's arms, hugging her and asking her forgiveness, but he couldn't. He felt like if they asked him to say even one word, he was going to burst into tears. 

Peter tried to walk slowly towards his room when the floor creaked and May looked over Happy's shoulder. "Oh hey!" She exclaimed as she stood up, shocked that he was home. "I thought you were out tonight?"

Peter's face was red as he shook his head, not able to talk. He looked to his bedroom door and then to his aunt, his face filled with total heartbreak. 

"Peter, honey?" May asked, stepping closer, with worry in her voice. Happy turned around and glanced over, noticing how the younger man wasn't acting his normal self. "Darling, what's wrong?"

Peter dropped his bag on the floor and ran into his Aunt's arms, sobbing hard as he fell against her. May was freaking out, holding him close as they fell to their knees so Peter could focus on his breathing rather than standing.

It took a while to calm Peter down. Happy didn't leave, he wasn't going to leave May to handle this with all the other stuff she has going on. He wanted to be there for her as best as he could. So as May moved Peter to the sofa and got him blankets and tissues, Happy prepared them a meal.

May say next to Peter, snuggling him under her arm as she stroked him gently. She hated seeing her boy like this, it was always her worst fear to see him miserable like this. He'd been through way too much to have anymore on his plate.

"You need to let things out," she spoke to him softly. "If you tell me, I can help."

Peter squeezed his eyes shut. "I can't," he breathed heavily, "You'll hate me, you'll kick me out of your life! You won't want me anymore!"

"Poppycock," May kissed his forehead. "Whatever it is, I'll always love you and I'll always want you in my life. Please let me in," May soothed him, "I know I'm not your mother, but I want to help you."

Peter leaned back and tried to breathe, wiping his eyes as he tried to calm himself down. "If I tell you, both you and Chef Hogan have to promise not to do anything. You have to keep this a secret. You HAVE to."

May looked over to Happy, who was paused at his station in earshot, looking over at them with a really concerned expression. His eyes moved to May with furrowed brows, nodding.

"Uhm, okay?" May replied. "We can do that."

Peter was freaking out a little, his heart beating fast as he stood up and needed to move around a little with the blanket still wrapped around him. "No I mean it, swear to me!" He blurted out, talking fast as he paced the living room. "If you tell anyone my life is over, HIS life is over, our lives are over, please!" 

"I won't tell a soul." Happy spoke as he turned down the stove and walked over to Peter. "You can trust me, I won't hurt the situation. You need to talk to get through it, and you're old enough to have a say in the outcome."

May gazed up at him with sweetness in her eyes, she was falling so hard for him, especially now. Seeing someone who was so caring and good with her boy made her want him more.

Peter nodded, "Thank you." He rubbed his face, "I've, uhm, I did something. And, oh god, please don't kill me." He sat down on a nearby chair, his eyes welling up. 

"Peter, honey, you're scaring me. Just rip it off like a bandaid." May urged him, desperate to know what was wrong.

The younger man stood up again, taking in the deepest breath. "I've been having an affair with a married man, and his wife walked in on us." He said quickly and loudly. 

There was a long silence. Peter was worried that he hadn't actually said it, but as he looked over to May, he realised she was in shock. She was sitting back on the couch, eyes wide with shock and hand on her face, unable to understand it. 

"Peter," Happy spoke softly. "Was it all consensual?" He asked, concerned, as he sat down on the arm of the safa where May was sitting. He held onto her hand as Peter replied.

"Yes!" Peter answered in a second. "Very, very, one million percent consensual. I… I was the one who pursued him." He looked vulnerable and upset as he awaited May's reply. "And uh, that's not the worst part."

Happy closed his eyes. "What's the worst part, Pete?" He breathed in, preparing himself. 

"It's Mr. Stark." 

"What the FUCK?!" May gasped as she sat forward, "Peter… you and your head teacher?? He's… he's an adult! He's married! He's… He's your teacher!"

Peter's jaw was clenched as he nodded, trying his best to stop the tears falling from his eyes. "I know… and he… he didn't want me to start with, but I kept trying… and I fell in love with him… he fell in love with me too… and I was at his and his wife caught us." He bowed his head as tears dripped from his face to the carpet. 

"Oh, honey." May cried as she stood up and walked over to him, "I love you, but do you know how wrong this is? How you've broken the law?"

Peter nodded as he leaned into her for a hug. "I know. But he's not one of those creeps, he isn't! I swear!" He looked to Happy for help, "He's a good man, he cares so much."

Happy and May looked at each other, sharing a knowing look.

"You promised you wouldn't tell anyone!" Peter exclaimed to them both, crying still. "You can't! His wife will do whatever she wants to do and that's it!"

"But what about you?" May asked him, stroking his face. "What do you need?"

Peter shrugged, "I… I just want to know he's okay. She was really nice and drove me home, but… I'm worried she's going to hurt him. I… I love him," he confessed to them both. "I love him."

\---

Peter ended up falling asleep after crying to himself for a while. He sat with May and Happy for a long time discussing it through and through. They eventually came around to being sort of okay with it, especially when May found out about all the financial help they had been getting from him.

In the morning he decided he wasn't getting up for school, he couldn't handle it today. And May was okay with it, because since she was sitting around the house anyway, she was able to have some aunt and nephew time. 

Happy had left early in the morning to go to work, he stayed over with May, checking on Peter from time to time. May had never felt more safe than she did when she was with him. 

The day was spent with the last two Parkers sitting on the couch and watching crappy daytime TV whilst talking and playing some games. They had an array of food dotted around the coffee table as they chilled out.  
Judge Judy was playing in the background as Peter slowly ate his bowl of salted popcorn. 

"So what are you gonna do if he has to go to jail?" May asked him.

Peter groaned and put his head back, "I don't think he will. But if he does… he won't. I won't let him, I'll deny everything." 

"There's that picture though?"

"Photoshop." Peter looked at her, raising his eyebrows. "I'll never let him go through that hell. She can say what she wants… but I'll fight for him."

May sighed, turning to look at the screen. "You know, until you're 18 and left school you can't be with him," she mentioned to him. "It's illegal."

The younger man was silent for a while, focusing on his own breathing. "Why didn't you tell me you had a boyfriend?" He asked her out of the blue. "I would like to know these things,"

"We haven't told each other a lot recently." May commented. "Maybe we need to work on that? You are my favourite person you know."

Peter smiled, "I am?"

His aunt laughed, "Of course you are, you silly sausage. You're pretty much my son, and there's no way anyone means more to me than you." She told him as she leaned over and placed her head on his shoulder. 

"I wish that we were able to tell each other everything." Peter answered her. "We really are all we have. We may find others to join us, but right now it's just us, and… and I don't want to lose you."

May held onto his hand and squeezed it. "You won't. But let's take this time off together to fix ourselves and our relationship," she suggested. "Let's get this right."

\---

It had been a long and emotional day for the Parkers as well as the Starks. The four of them needed a little space and love to try and sort out their lives. 

For Pepper, she spent the rest of the night bleaching and gutting her house of memories and sadness. For May, she ran herself a very large, hot, bubble bath with candles and incense, listening to Billy Joel as she waited for a text from her new boyfriend. 

For Peter? It was sitting by his phone and waiting for Tony to call him. He missed his man so much, and he was worried that something bad was going to happen. Tony's voice often made him feel better about every awful thing in this world.

And for Tony? Tony needed to see Peter. Even at ten o'clock at night, he made his way to see his boy, climbing up all those stairs no matter how tired he was. He found himself staring at the door for a while before knocking, he had never felt more vulnerable in all his life. But he missed his Peter.

As he knocked, he hoped it wasn't May who was answering. Holding his breath he waited, until the door opened and the most gorgeous person in the world showed face. His Peter.   
Suddenly, as their eyes met, everything seemed okay again. Tony's anxieties flew away as he stared into the eyes he loved so much. 

"Hey beautiful," Tony whispered with a smile, "I missed you."

Peter's face lit up, the happiest of smiles crawling onto his face. The moment he saw Tony, his heart felt full again. A surge of happiness flowed through his veins. He looked back into the apartment to check if May was still in the bath before he stepped forward and grabbed his coat. "Let's go for a walk?" He asked hopefully. "May's in."

The older man nodded, turning to his side, and holding out his hand. "Am I allowed to… hold your hand?"

The younger man blushed as he closed the door, "I'd be sad if you didn't." He replied before slipping his soft hand into Tony's strong one. They silently walked down the stairs and into the darkness of night. The stars were beautiful and for some reason not too many people were out and about. 

Peter led him to a place on a hill where they could see the city down below. Lights everywhere as the city moved slowly. He turned to face Tony, their bodies were close enough to touch. 

"I missed you," Peter spoke with so much love in his voice. "I'm so glad you're okay," he wrapped his arms around the older man's shoulders and hugged him tight, digging his face into his neck. 

"Me too," Tony held him, his hands going around the small of his back. "God, it's been such a long day. Just being here with you makes it all worth it. I'm exhausted."

Peter kissed his cheek before pulling away from the hug. He stayed in Tony's arms as they stared into each other's eyes. "What did Pepper say to you?"

Tony closed his eyes and shook his head, "No jail." He whispered, "But I've had to resign and move out… Peter. I have a new place,"

"Already?" Peter raised his eyebrows and smiled, "I mean, I'm really sorry about your job… I know you loved it. But not going to jail is amazing! And if you have a place already then it's like… good right?"

The older man nodded, gently touching Peter's jaw as he let himself swim in his eyes for a few moments. "That's good. Peter…" he whispered as he stroked the younger man's cheek. "Peter, I'm so in love with you, you mean the world to me. I don't even care that everything else is breaking around me," 

Peter blushed as he bit down on his lip, looking up to the older man through his long lashes. "I'm in love with you too." He smirked.

"Good," Tony's face looked a little worried and serious now. "Because… because I have something to tell you... or rather ask you, or both, I don't know, I don't know what you're going to say or -"

Peter placed a finger onto his lips. "Just ask me," he whispered. "Don't panic, it's me, not her. You can say what you need to say,"

The older man softened up, letting out a large breath as he moved his head forward and gently pressed his lips against Peter's. Peter pulled him closer and kissed him back, his hand grasping into Tony's clothes as they melted into it. This kiss was even better than past kisses, this kiss meant freedom and a new beginning. 

Tony's lips moved against Peter's slowly, tasting him deeply and giving him all the love he could muster. Having the younger man's body against his once more was the best serotonin booster he could ask for. They fitted together like jigsaw pieces, lips moving so lovingly against each other.

"Tell me," Peter whispered as he slowly pulled back and placed his forehead on Tony's. 

"My place is almost two hours away," the older man told him. "It's small, and cute, but big enough for two."

Peter pulled back and looked at him quizzically, "You… Why so far away? We won't be able to see each other."

Tony swallowed heavily, staring into Peter's eyes with a worried look. "Not if you move in with me," he spoke with a soft voice. 

He watched as the younger man took a second to think about it. He expected Peter to jump into his arms and say 'yes, yes a million times yes' but that wasn't the vibe he was getting from his boyfriend. Peter was taking a few deep breaths in as he stood back out of Tony's arms. The smile had faded as he looked over to the city lights, trying to get his head in order.

Peter's eyebrows were furrowed as he turned to Tony, "I'm seventeen." He replied as if the older man didn't already know. 

Tony nodded, clenched jaw. All he did was listen. 

"Tony, I'm seventeen, I'm… my aunt is unwell, and I haven't graduated high school yet." He explained with a pained expression on his face, he looked like he was starting to panic as he tried to tell Tony what was in his head. As Peter spoke, he got a little more frantic, looking around as his breathing became more apparent. 

"I don't know how to cook properly yet, I… I barely know how to iron clothes! And I'm not even allowed to use the lawnmower, I've never even bought cutlery by myself, how can I be the man of the house if I don't…" he took a moment to breathe, clutching at his chest. Peter looked back to Tony, who's eyes were teary but his face was stern. 

"I'm seventeen," he shrugged, sounding hopeless and upset. 

Tony rubbed his lips together and nodded, swallowing and taking in a breath before speaking. "You're too young to move out."

Peter stared into his eyes, his own rimmed with red as a tear fell down his cheek. "I am." He cleared his throat as he stayed in his place, not moving towards Tony but not moving away.

The older man bowed his head and sighed, "So… where does that leave us, Peter? I… I live two hours away, you have school and I'll have to find a job now," 

"I don't know," Peter's voice broke as he tried to keep his cool. "Maybe when I'm eighteen, and I've graduated? And I can do the things an adult is supposed to do? Then I can come and be with you." 

Tony took a few steps forward, "I don't know how long that's going to be, Pete, are you… are you saying that this is IT for now?"

"No!" Peter exclaimed, "No that's not what I'm saying," he sobbed, "I'm… I'm saying that we need to give it a little time before we make that step!" 

"But we won't have time to see each other, baby." Tony told him, "If we do it still has to be a secret for a while, we can't be seen together this close to me leaving my post."

"So you're saying if I don't move in with you then… then this is over?" Peter asked louder, pain in his voice as he looked cross and upset. "That's so unfair, Tony!"

"What's unfair is that I was a head teacher with a wife and a job and a life! And now I'm moving into a small apartment somewhere while my idiot vice principal takes over my job!" He exclaimed, feeling his heart breaking as he began to just let it out. 

"What's unfair is I spent so much energy trying not to go along with your flirtations! What's unfair is that you're so DAMNED BEAUTIFUL!" He shouted before carrying on.  
"What's unfair is that YOU MADE ME LOVE YOU and now you're BACKING AWAY!" Tony shouted, tears literally falling from his face, "I lost my entire life for you!"

Peter's face was bright red as he sobbed uncontrollably, his shoulders shaking. "I'm too young to leave!" He exclaimed, "May's unwell! You saw her! She needs me around, it's… it's just us and I can't lose her now, we need to fix us!"

Tony was crying into his hands as he leaned against a tree, tears just falling, streaming off of his face as he tried to catch his breath. "But what about us?" He asked through broken sobs. "What about all of this SHIT that we've been through?"

He pushed himself to stand and walked to Peter, "Can't we make this work?"

"I want us to, Tony," he licked his lips as his eyes looked down to Tony's and then up to his eyes. "I want us to work, and to be together, and to live together for the rest of our lives," he cried as he held onto the older man's hands. 

"But you won't come with me?"

Peter shook his head, "You want me to leave my only living relative, away from my school and friends? To stay inside our small apartment until society is okay with seeing us together? How is that fair on me?" He sniffed as he tilted his head, "I'm too young.".

"You weren't too young to have an affair," Tony reminded him. "To come to my house and have sex with me? To let me kiss you all over… to love me? You… you do love me right?" He was vulnerable again. 

"Do you even have to ask?" Peter whispered, stepping into his space. "I love you more than I love being alive." He stated, "I love you more than Star Wars, than poetry, than food and air and oxygen." He sniffled as he wiped his cheek, "I love you more than I miss my own parents, my heart beats only for you, and that's never going to stop,"

Tony pulled him in for a close hug, clinging onto each other like it was the last time as not a slither of light was visable between them. They closed their eyes, just taking in the moment, holding the other man. When Peter breathed in, he inhaled the older man's intoxicating scent, the one that lit up a thousand perfect memories of their time together. 

"What are we going to do?" Tony asked in a whisper. "I'm not ready to say goodbye to you."

"I don't know. You have to leave town, and I have to stay in school, at least for a month." He pulled away from the older man, "   
I have to help May, and you… you need to find a job." Peter held onto the older man's jacket.

"Yeah," Tony sniffed, "And then… and then what? When can I see you? When can we be us?"

"It'll have to be a few months," Peter whispered, "Until there's no suspicion that I'm why you left," he lifted his fingers to gently get rid of the tears that hung on his man's cheeks. "And after I'm graduated and out into the world, and May is back on her feet -"

"That could take forever," Tony spoke over him. "It could take from weeks to months, maybe a year, mental health isn't a quick fix."

Peter closed his eyes, "Don't tell me this can't be worked through," he pleaded him. "Don't tell me that this is the end, because I won't let it. Do you hear me? I'm NOT letting you walk away from here without a plan."

The older man kissed him softly, his hands falling to Peter's waist and pulling him close. "This isn't the end." He promised him. "It can't be."

They stayed in each others arms for a while, it could have been a minute, it could have been an hour. Time just seemed to stop. Being in each others arms was all they wanted, nothing more, nothing less, just holding the person they loved. 

"But it might… it might be it for now?" Peter asked in a whisper. "Just a little break until our lives are in order? We can text and call, do video chats? I can spend Saturday nights with you?"

Tony closed his eyes. "I want it all, I can't do one night a week, that's hell. I need you."

Peter kissed Tony's cheek, lingering before pulling back. "Then we'll just have to give it time." He watched the older man's face as he spoke. "Just give it time and we can be together."

The older man replied in sobs, "But when can I see you again? When… when can we be together?"

"I don't know," Peter leaned in and pressed his lips against Tony's. He kissed him softly, slowly, lovingly even. 

"I don't know."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just realised this is like my longest fic ❤


	23. Peter's Wish

Peter lay on his bed staring up at the ceiling. How did he not notice the chips in the paint up there? He'd slept in this room for years and not noticed the tiny little cracks that had always been there above him. Maybe he just had other things on his mind? Maybe he was only just noticing them now because he was trying not to think about the thing. The thing that he certainly did NOT want to talk about, or remember, or spend ages going over every part of it. So instead he focused on breathing, and those little cracks above him. 

Breathe in. Breathe out. 

That's all he had to do now. He'd done it all his life but it never hurt as much as it did right now. What was the point in breathing if he wasn't breathing near the man he loved? What was the point in opening his eyes if it wasn't to stare at the man of his dreams? 

He wondered what Tony was doing right now. Whether he was staring at his ceiling too, in his new house, hours away, trying to push Peter out of his mind so his heart didn't hurt.

It's been two nights since they stood on that hill. Two nights since Tony looked deep into his eyes, staring at him through teary eyes, trying to kiss away Peter's tears but he was too busy crying himself.

-

"I don't want to say goodbye to you." Tony whispered, his lips trembling against his skin. "You mean more to me than my entire life."

Peter held him close. "I know. I hate this too," he whispered in reply. "But we'll be together soon, wait for me okay?"

"Forever. I'll wait forever."

-

Forever had to come soon.

\-----

Tony sat on his sofa, surrounded by boxes and bags of his personal items and books. The heating was on, but Tony couldn't be bothered to move from where he sat. He knew he'd missed a meal or two, but he didn't know which ones.

He should have known his life would end up like this, alone and sad. All Tony could think about was that first night at his home, when Peter turned up in the rain, soaking wet, emotional, practically begging for his love.

Tony was a weak man, but he didn't regret this. Peter was never going to be a regret, he'd always be the man that meant more to him than anyone he'd ever met. Kissing Peter was like breathing new air, and now they'd gone and had their last kiss.

He didn't want to move because he didn't want to accept that everything was so fucking bizzare now. He should have left Pepper before she found out, and then he and Peter could still see each other at school, at a place where he could work.

What the hell was he going to do now? The man had no idea. He needed a job, and to get his mind off of Peter. Peter fucking goddamned Parker. That beautiful, maddening, intelligent, talented, funny, perfect man who stole his heart, held it hostage and wasn't about to give it up without a fight.

Tony had never felt this empty before. So he continued to stare at the box in front of him. Maybe the box knew something he didn't? Maybe it held the answers to his broken soul? Maybe.

  
2 WEEKS LATER

  
Peter wasn't keen on the new principle. He seemed to talk too much and about nothing that anyone cared about. Ned and Peter sat at the back of the class as he introduced the new English professor, Mrs. Collins, who was at least sixty-three years old and enjoyed the literary working's of some boring old non-poet who only wrote about The Great Depression. 

Nothing was the same without Mr. Stark. The good thing was that the bullying had seemed to stop. Flash and Stephanie had found out that they were perfect for each other, and instead of picking on others they spent their time hiding behind trees kissing. It was gross but at least Peter and Ned were safe from being targeted and abused. 

Peter usually just sat at the back of the class and thought about the times he used to love being here, love being in this place. Waiting for Tony to walk through those doors and take his breath away. He'd gone back to not eating lunch, and had written more depressing poetry than anything lately.

Graduation was in a week's time, and his birthday was a few days after. But he really wasn't that excited about it all. It didn't seem like something worth celebrating if it wasn't with someone he loved.

Instead of learning things, they were told all about the exciting opportunities they would have outside in the real world. The real world? The only place he could be with the man he loved. 

They hadn't talked much, or at all to be honest. Peter was waiting for Tony to text him, and Tony was waiting on Peter. Neither of them wanted to come across as needy or pathetic. But their minds never left each other. They missed each other horribly.

These past two weeks had been harder than Peter had expected it to be. He went to sleep dreaming about Tony and how their lips were just meant to be. His kisses… his touches… god that man was amazing.

When he arrived home after school, he got there just as May and Happy were coming home from her therapy. It had been really good having Happy around, he cooked a lot and helped with the chores. There was something about having him around that made his aunt feel brighter. She smiled and laughed a lot more, and there wasn't much crying. Since Happy came over a lot, he kept the fridge stocked, so they didn't have issues there anymore. 

May was starting back at work soon, and her meds had been fixed, so now all she had to do was check in with her therapist and doctor as well as practice a lot of self care. There wasn't much for Peter to really do at home anymore.

Happy was on a phone call at the other side of the room whilst May was unpacking her bag.

"Hey guys," Peter nodded at them as he dropped his bag on the counter and went to get himself a drink. "How was therapy?"

May leaned against the counter with a smile. "It is going really well, I'm glad that I've got someone there." She tilted her head and watched her nephew, "You could talk to her too you know?"

"Me?" Peter asked, turning around and yawning before taking a sip from his can. "What do I have to talk about?"

"Maybe Mr. Stark?" May asked him sympathetically, "Have you spoken to him?" 

The younger man shook his head. "Uhm, no, not really." He looked sadly at his shoes, "He's just… he's hours away now, and I'm… I've got you to look after."

May stood up straight, raising her eyebrows. "You are not here to look after me. I have therapy, I have the doctors, I have Happy. I'll be starting work again soon… Peter, things are going to be okay."

"What are you saying?" Peter looked at her, "That I'm old enough to move out?"

"Don't you fucking dare," she laughed. "Way too young! You're my baby still." May moved around the table and walked over to give him a hug. "But you are old enough to know what you want. And soon you'll be an adult and out in the world, and you shouldn't let the small things stop you from being happy."

Peter hugged her tightly, sighing. "I need to learn to be a man before I can do that." He scrunched up his face. "Like, I need to know how to fix a radiator if it's broken, or how much pasta to cook, or what the fuck is a hollandaise sauce?" He pulled back and stared at her. 

May laughed and shook her head, "That's not what makes a man, Peter."

"I know that," he pulled away. "But I don't want people to have to do things for me all the time… if I'm thinking about being in a relationship, a REAL relationship, then I can't have him father me. I want to be able to do things for him."

That's when Happy came off of the phone and walked over to them. "I couldn't help but overhear, but if you want to learn how to cook I don't mind teaching you?" He offered. 

Peter smiled up at him, "That would be a great help. Do you know anything else you could teach me? Like, adult stuff?"

May laughed as she pulled away from her nephew, "My baby wants to be all grown up, I can hardly hold back the tears." She kissed his head and walked over to stand with Happy. "Do you know things you can teach him?"

"I'll do you one better," Happy grinned, "I have a friend who's looking for an intern at his magazine. They'd be doing a lot of writing, maybe you'd want to try that after graduation?" He raised his eyebrows, watching Peter's reaction.

The younger man looked sort of excited and a little nervous, "So I could, like, write for a living?" He bit his bottom lip. "And you could teach me about cooking and fixing things?"

"And I'll teach you about whatever else you need!" May interjected, "Bills, taxes, household stuff?"

Peter breathed out heavily, "That… that would all be amazing." He looked into space as he smiled, thinking about how proud his man would be. "If I could just be okay with not being a student anymore… if I could be the man he deserves," he looked hopelessly towards his aunt. "Would you be okay with us together?"

May and Happy looked at each other. Peter could tell that the new addition to the family had an influence into how his aunt thought about it. He gave her an expression that said, 'you know what the right thing is'. 

His aunt looked to him, smiling softly. "I would... WE would." She corrected herself, "Mr. Stark is a good man, and if he promises to not hurt you, then I'm okay with it. But I think you should call him."

Peter let out a deep breath, "I… I'm scared." He admitted, "I'm scared I'll hear his voice and not be able to breathe."

Happy took his turn to speak. "Peter, if you love him that much, then it's worth something. Call him."

\---

It was almost midnight when Peter finally decided to call Tony. He was in his room with the tv on softly as he cuddled into his pillows. He was so nervous but excited in the weirdest way. He knew the older man loved him, he was just frightened by how much he loved Tony. His heart was beating fast, his palms sweating as he felt butterflies swarm his insides.

The phone rang three times before Tony answered. His voice was low and tired, but it wasn't like he was asleep or anything, he was just exhausted. 

"Hello?"

"Hey," Peter spoke as he burst into tears. He didn't realise he had missed Tony his much, just the sound of his voice set him off.

"Peter? Peter, god baby, what's wrong?" Tony sounded concerned, becoming more alert.

"Nothing… I just, I miss you so much, your voice has… such an effect on me." Peter sniffled as he smiled, closing his eyes as tears clung to his red cheeks. "Oh my god, is that really you?"

Tony chuckled in a low voice, "It is baby, I've missed you too. It's been too long. I… I think about you every single day. Every hour. Every minute." 

"You do?" 

"I do. How's school? How's May? Tell me everything."

Peter indulged him and told him all about how the school had changed in such a drastic way in the shortest time, and told him all about May and what she's doing to get herself better. Tony was really happy to hear how everything was coming together, and how his old friend, the chef, was finally getting his happiness too.

"Everything sounds like it's looking up," Tony yawned, "Things are good for you."

"No they're not." Peter admitted, ducking his head into the pillow. "I feel like shit because… all I want is to be held by you." 

"Thank god you said that," Tony smiled into the phone, "Because I was starting to think that you were better off without me and it scared me."

"Never." Peter whispered, "Tony… I miss you so much it hurts. I wish our last kiss had lasted longer, I wish that you were with me right now instead of over the phone."

The older man sounded like he was softly crying on the other side of the phone, but Peter couldn't be sure. Is it sad he kinda hoped that he was?

"Me too." Tony told him in a loving tone. "Peter… I miss you. I've meant to call every night but… I've been so scared. I was scared you'd moved on, or decided to try. My divorce papers came through, and there's some jobs that want me, I'm so close to having everything again. Everything except you."

Peter blushed as he lay on his back, "I'll never move on from you. I've been trying to get myself some sort of a path to go on, after graduation next week. There might be a job, and there's stuff I need to do."

"How long do we have to wait?" Tony asked him bluntly. "Because kissing you is all I want to do. How long do I have to wait?" 

"I don't know," the younger man confessed. "Hopefully not long. Have you… have you seen anyone else?"

Tony chuckled, "It's been two weeks, kid, not two years. I haven't even thought about anyone else." He confirmed, "Have you?"

Peter shook his head, "Nope. No one. Not a single soul. Can you do something for me? It might be stupid, I don't know…"

"What is it?"

Peter blushed as he closed his eyes and got it out fast. "Can you please send me a shirt that smells like you so I can sleep with it?"

The older man didn't mock him like he expected, instead he answered warmly. "I'll send you three."

The two of them fell asleep a half hour later whilst talking on the phone, content with the fact they knew their love was still strong. Even if it was distant for now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've come up with a plot line which keeps this going to a bit longer, and I'm excited about it. Will you guys keep reading if I keep going?? 
> 
> Keep the comments going, I love you all 3000
> 
> Private Twitter @sulphuriccherry


	24. Graduation

  
It was the day of his graduation when the parcel arrived. Peter pulled himself out of bed, tired and grumpy from the lack of sleep he was getting lately. Every night he sat and read through books and watched youtube tutorials on things he wanted to learn. The more he learned, the more suitable he felt he was to be with Tony.

May had taken the day off to attend the graduation and she'd been up early in the morning to iron his gown and make sure everything was perfect. The doorbell rang when he was absentmindedly pouring himself a glass of orange juice. He yawned before going to answer the door. 

The box was a lot bigger than he expected it to be. He placed it on the table and opened it up to find that Tony had sent him a lot more than he had asked for! There were three of his shirts, just as he said he would, along with a present wrapped up in a little box, a book and two envelopes. 

Peter brought the box through to his bedroom, sitting with it on his bed as May rushed around doing the things that she needed to get done. The first thing he did was open up the envelopes, finding that one of them had a card and a letter inside it. The card was a 'congratulations on your graduation' which had a dog on the front in a graduation cap and gown.

He opened it to read the handwritten message inside.

_"My dearest Peter, I am so proud of you for doing so well. You have the world in front of you and I know it's all going to be yours someday, you deserve this. Love Tony."_

Peter set that up on his bedside table, so he could look at it whenever he wanted. He turned his attention to the letter in his hands, realising it was a full page long. He pulled his pillows behind his back so he could be comfortable as he opened it up, reading over the words slowly.

_"My love,_

_Firstly, I want to restate my congratulations on your graduation. Well done, baby! I know High School was hard for you, but you are the strongest person I know and I am so in awe of your strength._

_Secondly, I wanted to tell you that I miss you. My heart aches for you. I lay awake at night and imagine you here beside me, your gentle and sweet body against mine as you whisper that you love me. And I love you. I love you so much that whilst writing this I am a little choked up, knowing that when you read this you'll be thinking about me and the times we've spent together._

_Enclosed in this package are some things that I know you'll love. Three shirts as promised, clean but worn once to get the full Tony Stark scent, which I'm sure you won't mind. A book of poems, written by yours truly, filled with love to keep you warm at night. An envelope of pictures, of both of us, and some of me so you don't forget my face._

_And lastly, a present for you to wear today. Every man in my family got one on their graduation, and I wanted to do the same for you. I hope it fits, send me a picture of you all dressed up? I'd love to see how happy you are._

_I started work two days ago, I work at a publishing house. I'm quite enjoying it. I get to write and read, not so much my own work, but there's always inspiration to be found._

_The house is getting better, it has started to look like a real person lives there. I have enough room for all my stuff, and a little more. Dare I hope?_

_It's your birthday soon!!! (HELL YEAH!) Not that I've been waiting… but I'm happy that our time together is drawing near. You'll get more presents from me soon._

_Anyway, have a wonderful day and know that even though we are so far apart, you've never left my thoughts. You're still my baby, if that's okay with you. I love you."_

Peter was blushing as he read it again, a flushed smile playing over his lips as he did so. His heart was fluttering as he felt confident in himself again. A love letter from a man who adored him really managed to make him feel more secure in his own feelings. He folded up the letter and kissed it gently, his heart softening. 

He'd look at the photographs later, he didn't have a lot of time. But Peter reached over and picked up the box, unwrapping and opening it with excitement. As he opened the box, he gasped. Tony had bought him a beautiful, expensive watch to wear today. It wasn't too clunky but the face was big. It was silver and blue, and fitted him perfectly. 

\---

Graduation went amazing. Peter actually got a shoutout for his poetry competition, and everyone seemed to be having a wonderful day. He could see the pride in his Aunt's eyes, the happiness she felt to see him succeed. 

It was a sunny day, hardly any clouds above them. Everyone was so happy and having the time of their lives, proud families everywhere as the students were all dressed up. And it was even better to know that they wouldn't be getting mocked or bullied for this one day.

Ned pointed out that Tony hadn't turned up, which sucked, but Peter understood why. He wanted so much to see the older man and had planned to go over tonight to surprise him, what a great end to a great day!

After the ceremony, Happy brought him, May, Ned and Ned's mother out to dinner to celebrate. The group of them went to his really nice restaurant in the city, it wasn't too expensive but it was a nice night out. Everything seemed to be going so well, and it was about to get better for Peter when Happy received a phone call halfway through making a speech.

"Everyone!" Happy smiled as he held up a glass and tapped at it with his knife carefully. "I'd like to propose a toast!" 

The dinner guests smiled at him, giving him their attention. "I would like to give these fine young men here, a few words of congratulations on their big day." He nodded to Ned and Peter.

"You two have always been the brightest, kindest students, and I've always admired your friendship for as long as I've known you." Happy held up his glass to them both, "And I know I'm not related, but I am so proud of the men that you two have become! So -" that's when his phone rang in his pocket, causing everyone to laugh a little. 

Happy shook his head, "Sorry, two seconds." He smiled as he pulled his cell from his pocket and put it to his ear.

"Hello?" He answered his cell, "Oh hi! Yes, how are you?" Happy turned away from the conversation to keep talking to the person on the phone.

May began to take over the conversation. "I think what he is trying to say," she laughed as she looked at Peter and Ned. "Is 'well done' and we are so proud of you." She finished for him, raising her glass for everyone to clink together. 

Their food was served a few moments later, and as they stuck into their meals, Happy came off of the phone. "Sorry about that, but as it turns out, I have some amazing news!"

"Yeah?" Peter looked over at him, "Tell us!"

"Do you remember how I was telling you about my friend at the magazine?" Happy asked him.

"Uh, yeah! I emailed them an application for the intern thing last week but I didn't really get a reply." 

Happy grinned, "That's because I put in a very good word, and that's what he was calling about. He wants you to start next Monday! He'll sort out your accommodation and everything!" 

Peter lit up, excited and surprised, "What?! You're joking!? That's crazy!" He was red with happiness as he looked to his Aunt who was extremely happy. "I got it? I got it!" 

"You did!" May said proudly back, "I can't believe my boys all grown up!" 

Ned gave him a hug and congratulated him. "Wait," he paused. "Accommodation? Where exactly is this internship?"

"Oh," Peter's face dropped. "I'm not sure, uh, Hap?" He looked over at him. "Where is it?"

"Pennsylvania."

\-----

Peter sat on his bed, staring at the tv in front of him. It wasn't on, but he needed something to stare at. How could he be okay with moving to Pennsylvania, an entirely new state, and not moving in with Tony? 

But this was a job, life experience, money, learning to be an adult. It was good for him! To be his own person and find himself, to get himself to and from work every day, to be his own man. That was such a big thing!

But it was a state away. And yes, May was getting better. She was with a man who loved her, who adored her and just wanted to take care of her. May was becoming the woman she used to be again and that meant so much to him, and it meant that it was okay to Peter to move out.

But how was Tony going to take it? His letter indicated that he was expecting them to be together within a few months. And of course, Peter was desperate to move in with Tony. How could he not be? He was in love with him, so much so that every thought and feeling he had was directed at Tony. 

There were so many things right and wrong between them. His happiness was with the man of his dreams, and it always would be. But this was something he had to do! It was an opportunity of a lifetime, and to say no would just be stupid. 

He only had a few days to pack and move, it was all going so fast. Peter wouldn't even be in the state for his birthday! How crazy was his life now? One minute he's drooling over his new English teacher and the next thing he knows he is moving across state lines and becoming a man. Everything about this job was perfect on paper. But a part of him didn't want to leave, he just wanted to be with Tony.

Peter pulled out his phone and called Tony, nervous as hell to tell him the news. The older man didn't answer his phone, but Peter kept trying. It was the third phone call that he eventually answered.

"Hello?" He asked absentmindedly.

Peter was biting his lip as he lay on the bed, playing with the sheets as he spoke. "Hey, it's me,"

Suddenly Tony became more interested in the conversation. "Hey! How was your day? Did you get my gifts?"

"I did," Peter grinned, his feet in the air as he lay on his front. "Thank you so much, the watch is gorgeous and, ugh, I just loved everything you sent me."

"You're most welcome," Tony smirked, "I am so glad you like it. Did you read my letter?"

Peter blushed, "I did, god, to know this paper has been in your hands." He bit his lip as he smiled. "I loved every word, I love you so much. I was the perfect thing to get on my graduation day."

"I'm so glad, angel. Come on, tell me everything, miss nothing out." 

Stark was an extremely interested partner, he listened to everything Peter had to say and asked many questions. He loved how happy Peter was and how his day was just perfect, but what he really wanted to hear was how Peter felt about him. He wanted to know if he was missed, or thought about. They talked for twenty minutes before Peter finally got up his bravery to tell him.

"So, uh, I kinda have news." The younger man brought up nervously before biting down on his bottom lip.

"Oh? Do tell?" 

"Well… the thing is… Happy got me a job, well, an internship, and uh, it starts next week." He tapped on the mattress beneath him as he spoke, trying to keep himself distracted from how much of a big move this was. "I'm packing as we speak,"

Tony sounded extremely proud of him, his voice elevating. "No way! I'm so happy for you! Tell me all about it, where is it?"

Peter hesitated for a few moments. "Uhm. Well. It's in Pennsylvania," 

The older man was silent. He didn't answer because he had no fucking clue how to reply to that. What was the man supposed to say? Of course Peter would want to live and be his own man, that's brilliant, that's amazing. But he would rather move to a different state than move in with him? Did their affair mean nothing to him? Tony felt hurt, worse than hurt.

"Tony?" The younger man's fearful voice wavered, "Are you still there?"

"Yeah. I'm here." His voice came out low and gravelly. Tony cleared his throat. "What do you want me to say to that?"

Peter sighed heavily, bowing his head and closing his eyes. "Uhm, that you're happy for me? It's a big deal you know."

"I'm happy for you." Tony spoke flatly, "Enjoy your new job."

"Wow." Peter laughed bitterly, "Thanks for that very genuine sentiment." He sat up as he shook his head, crossing his legs. "I know it means I'm a little further away but -"

"It is further away." Tony butted in. "It's very, very 'further away'. That's fine Peter, if you want to go and live there and work there then you do that. You've always gone for what you wanted and got it, why should this be any different?"

Peter's mouth hung open, "Excuse me?" He frowned, a stab of pain in his heart. "That's… that's sort of mean, Tony."

"I'm sorry, but Peter, you told me that you couldn't handle moving out! You said you weren't man enough to live with me but you're man enough to live alone far from home? Far away from me?" He sounded hurt. Really hurt. And that made Peter feel even worse. 

"This isn't about us," Peter replied softly, his body feeling so much tension and pain.

"No. It never is." Tony told him. "Did you think about this when you decided to go after me? That this wouldn't be just a summer fling? This is my life, Peter. Another person's life, another person's heart. Is that what you wanted Peter?"

"All I knew was I wanted you." Peter explained, "That I was falling so hard that you were all I could think about, so I just had to have you."

Tony laughed bitterly. "I was a married man with a job, and now I'm alone and the man I gave everything up for, the man who was supposed to be my boyfriend, is doing everything he can to stay away from me." He rubbed his forehead as he clenched his eyes shut. "I honestly thought this was it."

Peter's eyes were teary, "This isn't forever, Tony. Remember? Remember we said that we were gonna figure this all out? We were gonna get our lives together and then find each other again?"

The older man was on the verge of crying himself. "I assumed it would be a month or two." He sniffed, "I don't want to sound like an old creep, okay? You're young and you have a life, I guess it was just selfish of me to expect to be more a part of your life than just an anecdote of your childhood."

The younger man shook his head, "No," he said back angrily, "You were never just a crush or a fleeting thought," he spoke as he reached over to pick up one of Tony's shirts. He pulled it close to him and breathed in his scent before he carried on. "It's not selfish to want that, I want you so badly! Tony, I want to be your forever, it's just with the circumstances -"

"It was never an issue when you were my student." Tony told him, "The circumstances were literally illegal then and it was all we wanted to do. Peter," he sighed, his voice becoming more naked and emotional as he continued to speak slower. "I love you, I don't… I've spent so much time loving you. And you keep pulling away from me, like I don't matter. It hurts."

Peter cried quietly into Tony's shirt as he tried to remember all the things that he had to be happy about. "You matter," he wavered. "You matter to me, don't ever think you don't. I can't just give up on my dream, I know you don't want that for me, I know you want me to have a life."

"I do," Tony whispered, "I want you to be happy and do whatever you want to do. But please -" he paused. It sounded like he had paused to cry or just gather himself together. Peter could hear him breathing irregularly. 

"I can't wait around for you forever." He told him. "I won't. It's too hard." Tony's voice was sorrowful. "It's too hard to live without you," 

Peter choked on his sob, "I don't want us to be us, I don't want to have to live without you either. This is so painful,"

"Yeah," Tony agreed. Each word came from him with anguish. "Yeah it is. We never see each other as it is, and now? Peter, it seems like this is all we are for now." 

"Don't say that!" Peter exclaimed, teary and emotional. "This isn't it, this isn't all we can be."

"But it is, baby," Tony cried, "You keep pulling further away and I can't wait for the rest of my life for you to be ready. I'm… I'm not strong enough to be your 'maybe someday'."

This conversation was beyond painful for both of them, especially after everything they'd shared. It was a hard and horrible truth to accept that all those amazing memories were going to stay memories. Both of them wanted to beg and cry for the other one to change their minds and come live with them. 

Peter wanted Tony to come with him, but he couldn't because of his job. And the same the other way around. However they worked it, both of them would have to give up their lives in order to be together. It was a long, horrible, miserable phone call. It lasted for an hour, and they both cried. By the end, there were no winners, no one was right, they were both just hurt and upset. 

"I'm your man," Tony whispered to him at the end. "I'm your man and I'll… I'll always be your man. I just can't be your right now man."

The last words Tony heard Peter say were heartbreaking sobs. "I love you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this took so long. I love you all 3000


	25. Pennsylvania

CHAPTER 25 

6 MONTHS LATER, PENNSYLVANIA 

  
It had been six months since they last spoke. Six, grueling, torturous months of no communication between either of them since that phone call. Life had seemed to move on around them without realising, like they were chess pieces being moved across the board, but they didn't understand the game they were playing.

Peter Parker was now living in Pennsylvania, working in a tall building where he had a corner, a desk, a laptop and a deadline. Many deadlines actually, he wrote whatever and whenever he could, at every single opportunity he was given. He found it good to be constantly busy because it meant he could focus on his work, because letting his thoughts wander to what he wanted to think about was difficult.

Too difficult. 

He had many things to be happy and grateful for. He kept up communication with May, whom he called twice a week. Her and Happy were finally a proper couple and they lived together, which Peter was very supportive of. 

Ned visited every second weekend, and he managed to get a job in a paper company nearby in Scranton, so they were able to see each other a lot more, which meant he didn't feel so alone. Suddenly it was like his life was overall good but he didn't feel that goodness all the way through. He knew it was there but he just couldn't touch it. 

On paper, his life was going the right way. He had his own little apartment with a good internship and an income. He loved his neighbours and got on with everyone at work, but it wasn't really enough for him. It still felt empty. 

"Peter," his boss, Juliette, spoke as he walked over to his desk. She looked through her thick rimmed glasses at him with a serious expression on her face. "Did you read the article about student and teacher relationships?"

Peter's face shot up to look at her, completely bewildered by the random topic that happened to actually be rather personal to him. "Uh… no? Was it good?"

Juliette moved her blonde hair from her face and tied it up in a bun as she spoke. "It was bland, totally uninspired. I'm probably going to have to get rid of half the writers here. You're one of the only staff we have that's consistent with their quality." She looked over to see what everyone else was doing before she resumed her conversation. 

"I need a big piece," she told him. "I don't know what it will be yet, but I'm going to think about it and get back to you asap. I want you to brainstorm some ideas too, can you do that?"

Peter nodded, "Yes, of course. When do you want them by?" He grabbed his calendar and picked up a pen, hovering the nib over the page. 

"Two days from now. We'll have a lunch meeting. I want your current piece in by the end of the day." Juliette said with authority.

"I'm just about to send it now, it's done." Peter informed her, "I'm sorry it took so long but I think it's finally good enough."

Juliette looked rather impressed, "Okay then, Parker. The rest of the day is yours." She nodded with a smile before turning on her heel to go off and speak to someone else.

Peter sighed with relief as he leaned back in his seat, yawning before reaching to the laptop and pressing send. This wasn't exactly what he wanted to do, but it was a job in the field somewhere near what he wanted. He rubbed his head as he stopped to think, letting himself just relax. At least he got to write something, he kept telling himself.

His kind drifted then to a 'what-if" scenario. Peter let himself think about those days, the best days of his life. Only then did he feel something good in his soul. And then it was pain, when he remembered what happened. 

It was routine now. Peter would reach over to the drawer in his desk and pull it open, reach inside and pull out a photograph. It was one he was given six months ago, of the man that he dare not let himself think about. Tony. 

Every time he looked at the photographs, his heart HURT. It was horrible how much he realised that he wasn't over him, how could he be? How the fuck could Peter get over such a memorable and god-like man? He was like a drug, but one that there was no rehab for. And even if there was a way to forget about him, who would want to? 

Peter stared at his eyes, remembering what it was like that night in his bed, their first time. How they touched each other, how they whispered and moaned together. The older man looked at him as if he was the only person in the world, and he missed that.

But who was he kidding? Tony had probably moved on. Peter was easy to forget, he knew that about himself. He knew that the older man was probably dating again, dating someone beautiful and better than Peter could compete with. Not that he felt like he could compete, he lost his time.

But as Peter went back to his apartment that day, he couldn't help but wonder how life was back home. How long did it take Tony to move on? Was Tony happy? All the younger man wanted to do was apologise. He promised himself that when Tony called him next that they would make up, but he never called. His cellphone lay silent as there were no calls or texts, not even one. 

Peter waited every night by the phone, hoping that his love would miss him. Or turn up at his door with flowers and a massive speech prepared! Wouldn't that be something? He was the one who left, so he really didn't have a right to be sad over all of this, but Tony was and always would be the love of his life.

He sat on his bed and pulled out his laptop, unable to keep himself from snooping anymore. Peter had to know how the older man was doing, if he was well or missing him. The man felt uncomfortable and unsettled not having his Tony fix.

He came across Tony's website, the one all about his works and who he is. Apparently the poetry book was getting released this weekend, so Peter marked it in his diary to go out and buy it. The latest updates said nothing about the older man and his personal life, which was awful.

Of course, Peter could have just picked up the phone and asked him. But something stopped him every time he tried to, maybe it was the fear? The fear or rejection, or being hung up on. Another night went by, and Peter went to bed alone, trying to figure out why everything just felt so wrong about his new life.

He brainstormed ideas for a big piece at work over his morning coffee. Peter had grown to love this little coffee place beside his office building, it was small but had arguably the best coffee in town. He leaned against the bar table near the window as he sipped at his cup. 

Peter did enjoy working where he was, but his heart was still in poetry. The art he could create in his mind with words was something he truly missed, but instead he had to write about facts, news and gossip, which was all so tedious and depressing. 

That's when he saw it. There was a woman sitting at the bus stop, a book in hand as she was engrossed in the words. Peter recognised the label on the book, it was one that he, himself, owned. Tony's book. Peter smiled as he stared at it, his mind starting to work out an idea. 

Tony was a writer! How could he forget how he had the perfect excuse to contact him and get praise at his job? The more he walked around his day, the more an idea was growing in the back of his mind. A wonderful idea which was awfully risky, but it crawled forward and soon it was all he could think about. 

When he got into the office, he couldn't stop his feet from going right up to Juliette's office and knocking on it, hardily even forming the words to say. All he knew was that he wanted it more than anything.

"Come in," She called out to him. 

Peter pushed the door open and slid inside, looking over to her as she sat doing work on her massive desk. "I came up with an idea," he told her. "I think you'll like it."

The woman smiled and leaned back in her chair, bringing her pen to her mouth. "Okay, hit me."

"Do you know the author," Peter started as he walked closer towards the desk. "Tony Stark?"

Juliette nodded. "Yes, he's got a new book coming out this weekend." 

"What if I got us an exclusive interview? Like, I could get everything about him, his books, his inspiration, pictures, whatever you want. Enough to do a big piece!" Peter raised his eyebrows as he spoke, pretty sure that this was a good idea.

His boss thought for a moment. "He doesn't do interviews," Juliette told him. "My people have tried and tried, but he said he doesn't want to be disturbed. What makes you think you can do what my best people can't?"

"Uh," Peter opened his mouth and shut it again. "I… I used to know him." He blurted out, "I have his number,"

Juliette grinned from ear to ear and nodded. "Excellent, well. If you can get the famous Tony Stark to agree to an interview, you will be the next big issue."

"Really?!" Peter's face lit up, "Okay, woah, yes! I'll get on that right away!" He nearly jumped with excitement. 

The phone then rang and Juliette dismissed him from the room, so Peter headed back to his desk, practically buzzing with excitement and nerves. As soon as he sat down he knew he shouldn't have told Juliette about having Tony's phone number, because he really didn't want to call him and ask him for a favour after not speaking for so long. 

But he had a plan.

  
\---

Peter hovered over the keyboard of his emails, staring at a blank page with Tony's address typed into the email bar. He sat there for at least an hour trying to figure out what he wanted to type. He was using his company email so there was no way that Tony knew it was him, which he thought was pretty smart.

He wanted to see if he could establish how Tony was, and if he agreed to this, he could arrange a meeting and it would be him turning up. And then maybe… just maybe… they could fall in love again. Not that Peter ever fell out of it.

Eventually he managed to write one out, staring at it with worried eyes.

_'Dear, Mr. Stark,_

_I am a writer for a big Pennsylvania magazine, and I was hoping I could twist your arm into giving an interview? You wouldn't have to come all the way here if you don't want to, I don't mind commuting._

_I've read all your work and I am amazed by how amazing you are. I will be the first in line to read your poems on their release this week._

_I know you don't normally give out interviews, but I would give anything to speak to you if only for five minutes. You're an extraordinary writer and I have heard you're a wonderful person as well._

_Please think about it, I'd love to hear from you,_

_Kind regards,_   
_Junior Writer at Big Times Magazine,'_

Peter read over it fifteen times before reluctantly holding his breath and pressing send. He sat and watched the screen for forty minutes before giving up and going back to his day. Half of him was terrified that Tony wouldn't answer him, but he kept on hoping.

\----

It was 8am the next morning when he got a notification on his phone that his email was replied to. Peter jumped out of bed, rubbing his eyes awake as he opened it on his laptop instead of reading it from his phone. It only took a few minutes for his laptop to load but it felt like forever. His knee was shaking with anticipation. 

Eventually it loaded, and Peter began to get nervous as he began to read it over.

  
_"Junior Writer,_

_Thank you for your interest. It's always nice meeting a fan. And thank you so much for your compliments on my work!_

_I am not really comfortable doing interviews with people I don't know, and although I am aware of your publication, I am not certain that I would be interesting enough to do a piece on._

_What sort of questions do you want to ask me? Perhaps we could go over it before I make my decision? Tell me a little bit about who you are._

_Kind regards,_   
_Anthony Stark,"_

  
Peter couldn't help but grin from ear to ear, he knew that Tony more or less declined any sort of interview, but he replied! And not only replied but was expecting an answer! He didn't bother to even think about it, he hit the reply button and started to type in all the excitement.

_'Dear Mr. Stark,_

_You are more than welcome, I think very highly of your work. I understand that you do not like to talk to people about your work but I feel like that is depriving the world of your wonderful skills and talent._

_I am very young, 18 and a half. I'm a promising writer, and I've been doing a lot of my own personal writing on the side. I'm honoured to be talking to you._

_If I were to do an interview with yourself, I'd love to ask you about your inspirations, your drive, the way you see the world, your love life, your unique ideas on what makes a writer and a man._

_I hope to hear from you soon,_

_Junior Writer.'_

  
As he sent it, he hoped that Tony would get a little inkling in the back of his mind, something that would lead him to think it was Peter. He'd given more than enough information to insinuate that. He thought that if Tony thought it was him he would be more inclined to keep replying, and maybe agree to seeing each other.

And then Peter would give him the speech he had been planning in his head every day since the day he left. 

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took a while, I feel mentally blocked. Come say hi at @sulphuriccherry on twitter


	26. We Hate Pennsylvania

Peter went through his day as normal, following his new daily routine, but this time his mind was primarily focused on listening out for an email notification from his phone. As he walked the paths he normally went down to get to his work and eyed the buildings he'd memorised, he realised that there wasn't really anything special about where he was.

There were no 'new life' excitement feelings going around. He wasn't taken back by his new freedom, but if anything it made him feel more alone and depressed. A move like this would have been amazing if he shared it with someone, well, Tony. 

Every corner he turned, Peter could think of another reason why he didn't like it here. May wasn't here. Happy wasn't here. Tony wasn't here. His favourite take out wasn't here. The old woman who gave him fudge wasn't here. 

Maybe he was just trying to come up with reasons to go home, or maybe it was that he really wasn't enjoying himself, but his mind just kept drifting back to the life he could have had. Instead of stopping to chat to the bus stop ladies as he frequently did, he mindlessly walked through the streets imagining his mornings waking up next to Tony. He'd be allowed to see that sweet and charming smile as he opened his eyes, and would hopefully be allowed to sit in those arms forever. 

When Peter eventually got to his corner of the office, he pulled out his laptop and checked for an email, grinning when he saw that there was one awaiting him.

"Junior Writer,

You seem nice and eager, I'll give you points for that. I don't mind the questions you plan on asking me about, but I'd much rather keep the topic off of my love life. I keep that private and close to my heart, I'm sure you'll understand. 

Could we possibly do this over email instead of meeting? I'm not trying to push you off but I am very busy at work, and I don't know if I have the time to be doing this. At least doing this online would mean I can give you quotable and well thought out answers, 

Would that be acceptable?

Kind regards,  
Anthony Stark."

This was better than he could have imagined! The moment he finished reading it, Peter jumped out of his seat and rushed over to Juliette's office to tell her the great news. He ended up running into her in the hallway as she was talking to her assistant, so he waited his turn. After a few minutes she glanced over and saw him patiently leering in her area. 

"Parker," she turned to him, "Is there any reason why you're standing there, staring at me?" She asked.

Peter nodded, "Uh yeah, I spoke to Tony Stark." He stepped towards her, "He wants to do the interview, but he would rather do it over email because he is very busy working right now."

Juliette's face lit up, "Really? You managed to contact him and get him to agree to an interview?"

"Only if I don't ask him about his love life," he replied. "But I don't mind, this way I can get more information in the answers he gives."

The woman looked rather impressed, "Fantastic. I want you to spend the rest of the day researching, note taking and getting your questions ready for an interview with him. Ask him if he will agree to a video chat and you just get him to agree to a date before he backs out, okay?"

"Yes, of course! I'll go do that now!" Peter could feel his stomach twist and turn as it started to hit him. He was going to be allowed to see his man again, to look into those eyes and beg for another chance.

As he made his way back to the corner, he thought more on the fact that Tony hadn't wanted to speak about his love life. Peter hoped to god that he wasn't seeing someone else, because that would place a major cog in his plans. 

"Mr. Stark,

I am honoured to have this opportunity, sir. Thank you so much. I am sorry, I don't mean to pry into personal matters, I'll leave the subject of you and your partner alone. 

I was hoping that maybe we could do this over a webcam? That way we can talk, and we can fit it around your work. Let me know what is easiest for you,

I am so looking forward to meeting you!

Kind regards,  
Junior Writer,"

Peter sighed. He had hoped that he would get to take the long journey to New York to visit him, and maybe meet outside his house, perhaps get an invite for dinner. But no. He had to settle for a webcam, which made his stomach knott, because Tony could easily just turn it off and leave if he didn't want to speak to Peter.

But his worries were soon remedied as he received a fast reply from Tony.

"J.W

No, thank you. And I don't have a partner to keep personal. Well, it's complicated. Webcam would have been brilliant had it not been for my terrible technical skills. I don't mind doing it over an instant messaging app like Skype, but I'd rather not exchange video or voices. It makes it easier for me to just talk. 

I am free on Friday, 2pm onwards, does that suit you? If so, give me your Skype and I will pencil you in for then. 

I look forward to discussing things with you, you seem like an ambitious writer. I hope this gets you brownie points with the boss :)

Anthony Stark,"

  
"Friday at two." Peter smiled as he stared at the email. His eyes went back up to the top of his reply, looking at the part where Tony mentioned that he didn't have a partner. That made him strangely happy for some reason! I mean, Tony hadn't gotten over him and gotten under someone else, which was everything he wanted to know. He stared at the email for ages, realising that he was going to be able to sit and Skype the man of his dreams for as long as he wanted. 

If only they were allowed to look at each other, or hear each other. All Peter wanted was to be welcomed into the magical aura that was Tony Stark, but apparently now that was a far away dream.

He suddenly couldn't wait until friday.

\---

After he finished up at work, Peter was strolling down the street imagining his reunion with the man he loved. He was hoping that their eyes would meet and there would be no need for words. That they would gravitate towards each other and take each other in their arms. And Peter would apologise as he pulled him close. Perhaps Tony would say there was no need to apologise? That he was here now and that's all that matters?

Peter was lost in the clouds as his phone went off in his pocket. He pulled it out and placed it to his ear.

"Hello?"

"Hey, it's Ned! Do you want to meet up tonight? I've had the longest day, I could use some arcade games and my best friend!" Ned pleaded to him.

Peter checked his watch, "Uh, yeah, that actually sounds nice. Maybe we could get some dinner. Where were you thinking? Poor Richards?"

"Nah, they don't do food. How about Chilli's?"

"Sounds good." Peter answered as he headed over to the bus stop. "I could be there in twenty minutes? Is that okay?" 

"Sure, I'll meet you there." Ned replied with a smile before they hung up the phone.

\---

By the time Peter got there, Ned had already gotten them a table near the back. His best friend lit up when he noticed Peter walked in. He stood up and gave him a hug before the both of them sat down again.

"Hey!" Ned grinned, "How are you?"

Peter nodded, "I'm okay actually, tell me about your long day?"

His friend laughed. "Well! My boss decided it would be a good idea to let one of the salesmen throw a party, long story short, someone ended up on fire." Ned sighed as he shook his head.

"On FIRE?" Peter gasped, "Are they okay?"

"Yeah," Ned nodded. "She was drunk out of her skull, but apparently that's okay for the middle of the day at a paper company. I'm so done with that place,"

Peter took pity on him. "Maybe you should quit? It sounds like you might die there." 

"You're not wrong!" Ned commented. "I just really wanted this to work out, but mom wants me to come back home. I'm really thinking about it."

"If it makes you feel better then you should," Peter replied. "It's not worth being miserable."

"Speaking of misery!" Ned sat up, "How was your day?"

Peter shrugged. "Not bad actually! I, uh, I have to do a big interview with a writer, so I'm nervous." He informed him.

"Try not to sleep with this one," Ned commented with a smirk, making them both laugh a little. 

"Actually," Peter tilted his head. "It's Tony I'm doing the interview with, but he doesn't know it's me. It sucks because he wants to do it over skype, but not with a webcam or voice?"

Ned squinted his eyes, "Why the hell not?" He asked, "It's not like he's socially awkward or anything."

Peter shook his head, "I have no idea." He sighed as he scratched his forehead. "But it's like he's there… but he's not. He's within arms reach but I just can't touch him."

His best friend ordered them both a soda when the waitress walked by. He then turned to Peter, "Maybe you shouldn't have left."

"But," Peter was a bit taken back by Ned's words. "I had to leave? It was an opportunity to write for a living?"

Ned raised an eyebrow as if to say 'please'. He turned his seat a little and leaned on his elbow. "You didn't leave because of that, there were thousands of writing jobs in the city. If there really was something that was making you leave, it wasn't picking interviews over poetry for a living."

Parker listened to him and thought it over. "I mean, I wasn't ready for it." He frowned. "I needed to know how to live alone, I didn't want him to have to father me."

"Okay, so maybe you could have learned that back in New York. Look, Pete, I know we're young and confused, but it's been six months and all you've done since you've got here is pine for him! You're looking back, because this wasn't the right move for you." Ned explained with as much sincerity as he could muster. He could see it on Peter's face that he was getting through to him. 

Peter leaned back in his seat as the waitress brought them their drinks and they both thanked her. 

"I just didn't want to disappoint him." Peter said in a quiet voice. "I didn't want him to see me struggling and for him to think I'm too young for him." 

Ned looked at him with sympathy. "Don't you think he should have decided that instead of making decisions for yourself? The man literally gave up his life for you. YOU. He quit his job. He ruined his marriage. Only for you to leave,"

Peter closed his eyes, his heart feeling a horrible gut wrenching pain. "I'm such an idiot." He rubbed his forehead. "I've gone and messed up the best thing that has ever happened to me because why? Because I don't know how much pasta to cook?"

Ned laughed, "No one knows that man, it's a guessing game. There's nothing that says you can't go back."

"I don't know about that," Peter sighed. "What if he's over me? I know he isn't with someone, but what if he doesn't want to see me?" His heart felt heavy as he spoke, the mere idea of being rejected by the man of his dreams was like a knife to the gut. 

"Why wouldn't he?"

"Because! I broke his heart!" Peter exclaimed as the waitress came back to take their orders. Both of them took turns to politely order their food before they returned to the conversation. "No one ever forgives someone who does that."

Ned scrunched up his face, "Ehh, I don't know about that one." He replied. "Didn't he cry? And plead? A grown man pleaded for you to stay. My bets are, he's waiting for you."

Peter couldn't help but break out in a smile, "Really? You think?" He smirked as his cheeks went a little red. "God, I wonder if he is." He turned back to look at his best friend, "What should I do? Just quit and go home?"

"Wait until you do the interview." Ned told him, "Get information from him, get paid, and then go for it, you don't always get the chance to be with the one you love. I'd fight for him if I were you."

Soon after their food was served, and the two of them carried on their conversion about hating Pennsylvania. And all Peter would think in the back of his head was, _'What if he turns away?'_


	27. The Interview

The very second Peter's Friday morning alarm went off, Peter was all too eager to jump out of bed. He spent the entire morning listening to his happy playlist as he danced around his apartment. Today, he felt a lot more energetic and optimistic than he usually did as he got ready for work. So he wasn't going to get to video or voice call Tony? That wasn't all that bad! At least this way he could really see what his man was like back at home. He just wanted to know whether Tony was healthy, whether he was enjoying his job, or whether he was happy.

Peter prepared his day by buying himself a really nice lunch to bring to one of the many meeting rooms in the office. He set up his laptop with all his notes beside him on the desk. He wanted to be further away from everyone else who was working today so he got some peace and quiet to focus on Tony. Peter couldn't contain his excitement as he waited for time to pass. 

Right now there were like a million possibilities in Peter's head of how this interview could go. Maybe he would end up coming clean and telling Tony who he was? Or perhaps Tony already knew and was waiting to catch him out. Either way, Peter was really nervous. But it was a good nervous. He felt a mixture of emotions, and he didn't really know where to land on.

Eventually time did as it always did and moved forward to five minutes to two. Peter set up his skype app and made sure to add Tony with the link he was sent. The younger man decided to use the company skype so that the older man didn't see his name and freak out. He put himself under the name Junior Writer, just to be on the safe side. 

Peter's leg bounced up and down as he waited for the older man to come online, and the moment he did, the younger man felt like his heart was about to burst.

**Tony;** _ 'Good afternoon, Junior Writer. I'm surprised to see you online and waiting for me. Are you ready to start?' _

Peter grinned, almost blushing as he began to type back. He couldn't believe he was getting Tony's undivided attention for as long as he wanted. He decided to add in his middle name, just in case Tony wanted to call him something. 

**JW;** _ 'Hello, Tony! You can call me Ben, if you want to. This is the only interview that matters so of course I'd be here early. I've even brought my lunch with me to a secluded room, I'm ready when you are!' _

**Tony;** _ 'Brownie points to you then for being prepared. Ask me whatever you want, you have my full attention.' _

That made Peter bit down on his lip as he smiled. Tony always had this wonderful personality that could just make him feel at ease. He heard this in the older man's voice, trying to imagine what his face would look like talking to him.

**JW;** _ 'My first question to you is about your inspirations. I'd love to hear about the things that make you want to write, tell me about whatever stirs you.' _

It took around three minutes to get a reply. The entire time, Peter was biting on his nails as he watched the 'Tony is writing' notification flicker.

**Tony;** _ 'That's not really a question but I like it. There have been many things in my life that have inspired art in me, but I think the things that matter most have happened to me. I've suffered through loss and heartache, but also love and beauty. There's a lot to be found in everyday occurrences. Lately my writing has been hard, dark and sad. When you suffer a great loss, it's hard to get it out in any other way. Whether it's good or bad, the passion is in the emotions that you write with.' _

Peter paused and swallowed hard. Either Tony had known someone who had died in the last few months, or they were discussing him. And if they were discussing him? Peter felt a stab of guilt in his heart. He had made Tony sad and dark. Peter never hated himself this much in his entire life.

**JW;** _ 'Wow. Thank you for your honesty, I am deeply sorry to hear about your recent loss. Has it helped to write about it?' _

Peter closed his eyes to take a deep breath, trying to settle himself down. The pain wasn't leaving his chest or his gut.

**Tony;** _ 'Thank you. It wasn't a death, but it felt like one. In a sense, yes. But also no. Usually writing about my feelings can help, in the past it always has. But this one was too hard, and I don't think words can get me through this one.' _

Peter was suddenly glad that they weren't talking because he felt a lump form in his throat. It wasn't a death. It was him. And Tony had no vices to get through it, six months on and he was still in pain.

**JW;** _ 'At any time you tell me something that you would rather stay between us and not be printed, please let me know. I always find that writing helps me, sort of like therapy in a way. My next question is about your poetry book which comes out this weekend, what inspired you to start writing poetry?' _

Okay so Peter was being a little bit selfish. He was desperate for any sort of information he could get on whether Tony was keeping himself open to being with Peter again, or whether he was hurt by him and never wanted to talk to him again. 

**Tony;** _ 'I appreciate that, thank you. I used to write poetry when I was younger, but publishers never liked my work. I had given up until someone very special reminded me why I write, and loved my poems. They motivated me to get it published.' _

The younger man was grinning widely and blushing. He was completely and utterly lost for words over that. Tony had referred to him as 'special' and that made his heart soar.

**JW;** _ 'That someone sounds like they had quite a massive impact on your life. Is that the same person that you lost? (This won't be printed.)' _

**Tony;** _ 'Yes. Thank you. Next question.' _

Peter looked over at his notes, because his head was so focused on gushing over the older man like he used to, that he forgot what he was actually supposed to be doing. 

**JW;** _ 'I heard that you were working in a publishing house, is that true? And if so, how do you find working there?' _

Tony didn't really take too long to answer. He seemed to be speed writing, like he had nothing else to do on the other end except this. 

**Tony;** _ 'It's true. I do enjoy it, it gives me time to read a lot and gain inspiration, but not enough to fully keep my head in my own work. But right now I appreciate the distraction from my daily life.' _

The younger man decided to deviate off of the list and throw in something more thought provoking.

**JW;** _ 'In your opinion, has the quality of poetry and written art changed much over generations, and do you think it'll get better or worse?' _

As Tony typed his answer, the younger man tried to imagine what he was doing at this time. Whether he was at home, or at work. Perhaps he, too, had locked himself away in a room just to talk to him. 

**Tony;** _ 'That's tough to say actually. Every generation has had its heroes and villains of the written world. Shakespeare was a very well written man but made up half of his words, whereas you'd be laughed at for doing so now. Standards change and the readers change, but you'll find there will always be beauty in the world as long as you have a book nearby.' _

That's one of the reasons that Peter loved him. He was brilliant. Just brilliant. The way his mind worked, the words he used. He always sounded so wise and thoughtful. 

**JW;** _ 'That's beautiful, Mr. Stark. You really have a way with words. I wonder how your social life is? Are all your friends always in awe of your talent and skill?' _

**Tony;** _ 'I'm afraid I've become a little bit of a shut in recently. I have a few friends, yes, and they are very supportive and encouraging. I went through a bit of a change in my life, and got divorced. I lost my person and I've not really been the same since. I've just been working a lot.' _

His person. 

Peter took a deep breath in, half smiling. That was the cutest fucking thing he'd ever been called. He wondered how far he was allowed to go with his questioning. 

**JW;** _ 'Thank you for your honesty, Sir. After reading some of the beautiful things you have written in your books, I was wondering, do you believe in love?' _

The older man took a while to write. He kept starting and stopping, and it was really nerve-wracking for Peter to wait for.

**Tony;** _ 'That's the hardest question you've asked me. Not because I don't know the answer, but because the answer isn't always the same. I do believe in love, any love that is. I also believe in true love, and most of the time I feel like anyone can feel it if they want to. But then something happens and it makes me question whether love is a real thing, or just made up for the nice moments. But yes, I believe in love. I've felt love. True, real, painful, yearning love. But I lost it. So I don't want to believe in it, because it makes the pain feel less real.' _

"Fuck." Peter sighed heavily, sadness in his voice and on his face. He'd broken the man. One hundred and million percent fucking tore out his heart and threw it to the dogs. None of this was going to be okay, not now, not ever. 

**JW;** _ 'I am so sorry that you lost love. Don't give up, because sometimes life gives you what you deserve.' _

**Tony;** _ 'Next question.' _

**JW;** _ 'Of course." _

The two of them sat there and talked for a long while. Peter kept trying to prologue their conversation for as long as he could, and Tony really didn't seem to mind much. For someone who was so reluctant to talk, it was great to see how comfortable he felt with Peter, or "Ben the Junior Writer". 

It ended up being five o'clock before the both of them realised how long the two of them had actually been talking for. They had gone through a mix of topics between talking about the interview but also discussing their jobs and their cities.

Peter didn't even realise that almost everyone in the office was pretty much gone for the day and he was the last one there.

**JW;** _ 'I think I'm the last person in office. We've talked forever, have you ever had an interview this long?' _

**Tony;** _ 'No. Have you? I'm sorry to keep you, I hope that getting so much information helps you at work.' _

**JW;** _ 'Haha, never. Don't worry, I should be the sorry one. Your time is more valuable than mine. It will, if you would like, I can send you a copy of the article when it is published? It might have a picture of me on it?' _

This was Peter's mind working. If he could just find out where the man lived, then everything else would fall into place.

**Tony;** _ 'Go on then. My address is **** ******* ***** ******* ****** ****** _ ,  _ I'll be looking forward to reading it. Thank you for choosing me for your piece, it actually means a lot more than you'd think. It was nice talking to you, ben. Until next time.' _

Moments before Peter could reply, the older man logged off. Peter smiled to himself as he stared at that last message, and idea just falling into place.

\---

That night, at around eight, May was busy reading a book on the sofa as she waited for Happy to come home. She'd read this book a thousand times but loved it just as much every time. She was so engrossed in the words that when her phone rang she almost didn't hear it. May reached over and picked it up, sticking a bookmark into her page before closing it over. 

"Hello?" She asked with a smile, looking around the room. 

"Hey!" Peter's happy voice came through the phone. "Do you have time to talk?"

"For you?" May laughed as she put the book down. "Always! What's up darling?"

Peter didn't want to tiptoe around it, instead he went straight for it. There's no real way that she could say no to him. "I was wondering if you have sublet my room to a random person yet? Because I'm going to need a place to stay for a while. I promise, it's not for long! Really just until I find a place in the city."

"You're coming home?!" May asked in exclamation, sitting up in an instant.

"If that's okay?" He asked his aunt, really hoping that he wouldn't be declined. "I hate it here, I miss you and I hate how boring it is here. I have a really big issue coming out next week and then, I just wanna come home." Peter sighed as he spoke honestly. 

"You know you always have a place with us! I'll fix up your room for you, and I'll send Happy over to help you move. Ah, I'm so glad to be getting my boy back!" She gushed, "I'll make you a really special dinner for when you get here,"

"Thank you May," Peter smiled. "Is Happy going to be okay with that? I really don't want to intrude."

"Listen," May stopped him right there. "You're my son. I know you're my nephew, but for all intents and purposes, you are my son. It doesn't matter what age you are, or how long you've been away from home, you always have a place here with me, okay pickle?"

The younger man couldn't help but feel so much admiration for her. Aunt May had always been there for him, and he was the luckiest boy in the world to get to be related to her. No wonder Happy fell in love with her the moment they met. 

"Thank you, truly." Peter cleared his throat. "I'll bring you a present when I come back." He smiled.

"Pete, are you going to contact that man and let him know you're returning?" May asked him.

Peter paused. "What man?" He closed his eyes. "You mean Tony? Mr. Stark?"

May nodded, "Yes," she said softly. "Will you tell him that you're coming home? I'm sure he'd love to hear from you."

"I'm worried I broke him, May." Peter sighed with sadness and a heavy heart. "I want him back so badly, but I don't know where to start."

His aunt curled up on the couch as she heard the front door open and Happy walking inside. "Honey, that man loves you. Whether or not he accepts you back, it's worth a try. I know you still love him."

"How do you know?"

May chuckled as she stood up to greet her boyfriend. "A mother always knows."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey folks! Sorry this chapter took so long, keep the comments coming and tell mw how you feel 💗 my private twitter is @sulphuriccherry


	28. 500 Miles

One week on from the interview and Peter was back home with his aunt. Happy had trekked across state lines to help him pack up and move back. Peter called up his boss and quit his job the day before he left. Thankfully, his boss still wanted to run with his article and would still pay him for it, but as for that side of Peter's life, he wanted it to be over. No more writing things he wasn't passionate about. 

Crossing state lines was like a massive relief. The tension Peter had built up in his body over the last six and a half months was excruciating. Now he got to be himself again, his normal self. If he could only remember just who that was.

True to her word, May had been cooking dinner and making them a feast for their return, and Peter had his room waiting for him exactly how he had left it. It felt weird being back, but as he put everything away in their rightful places, he remembered the night when Tony was here.

All he had right now were memories, sweet, amazing memories. He could almost feel them too, ghost touches, phantom kisses, whispered moans that replayed in the back of his mind. Tony was all over him. Inside him. In his heart, his mind and his soul.

Peter had never stopped loving Tony. Not once. Not one little bit. In fact, he had tried to stop, tried to push the older man out his head so he could live, but how the fuck could he? He was Tony Stark. Trust me, you'd feel it if you met him. He was intoxicating and electric, a mere god amongst men. 

As he sat down on his bed, listening to his own breathing as he let himself let go of Pennsylvania and the last few months, the pain of losing Tony filled him up. It started in his chest like a tightness, his stomach ached as a lump formed in his throat. 

He breathed more heavily, vacantly staring into the room as he realised what happened, he had left, gone and fled the state. Ignored the man of his fucking dreams over some stupid pipe dream that didn't work out. Peter hated himself. He held onto his arm and dug in his skin with his nails, trying to remove the pain from emotional to physical but it wouldn't budge.

He was crying again. Crying so much his skin was red, sobbing so hard he couldn't breathe, he couldn't make a noise. Tears flowed and flowed from his face, his chin shivering, his heart torn and shattered. 

Something had to be done. 

Peter lay on the floor and sobbed for a while longer, it took him some time to calm himself down. He had reached for his phone and stared at videos online of things he used to find funny that he hadn't had time to watch lately. 

He felt pathetic. Totally and utterly pathetic. And the only thing that could make him okay again was seeing Tony.

-

Dinner was lovely. May had obviously put a lot of effort in to get everything in the house that Peter liked, and spent time cleaning and tidying so the apartment was perfect. She was so proud of him for all he had done.

"I'm so relieved you're home!" May smiled as she tucked into her dinner. "Not that I'm not all for you being your own person, but I felt so lost without you here, you're always here!"

Peter laughed as he looked at her fondly. "It was so weird living without you!" He told her, "I kept turning to ask you a question or make a joke and you weren't there."

Happy reached for his drink, "You know she cried for two weeks," he looked to Peter. 

May hit him playfully, "I did not! Don't tell him that!" She scrunched up her face in reply.

"Awww," Peter looked to Happy and then back to his aunt. "You cried?"

She pulled a sulking face before she carried on eating. "A little," she replied. "I sat on your bed and cried because I missed you, I'm allowed to miss you."

"I cried too," Peter confessed. "As soon as I was alone in my new place, I cried because you were so far away." 

May looked over at him and blew him a kiss. "I'm just so happy you're home. It's been so weird without you. But now I have you back, I'm going to have to spoil you."

Peter shook his head, "You don't have to, seriously! I won't be in your way, I just need to figure out what I'm going to be doing with my life." 

"But I want to spoil you a little! You're practically my son and I haven't seen you in ages." She grinned, "Now eat your dinner before it gets cold."

\---

It was ten o'clock at night, the sky was darker now as Peter stood on the pavement. He had come this far, but now his feet wouldn't move. In his hand, he held a piece of paper with Tony's address on it. The address that brought him to a house. More specifically, the one that was just down the road in his eyesight. The one with Tony's car parked out front. 

Peter's heart felt like running to the door, getting inside and pleading Tony for another chance. But his brain told him he was being stupid. Pathetic. Ridiculous. Tony probably hated him, and wouldn't want to see him. 

He swallowed hard as he closed his eyes, trying to make up his mind. Peter prayed for a sign from the heavens to tell him what to do, whether to go forward or turn back. What was he? A man or a mouse?

As soon as dinner was over he grabbed his bag and hopped the bus, which took forever considering they finished dinner at half seven. Three and a half hours of trying to save his phone energy, staring out the window and not knowing where he was. 

Peter's legs wanted to run but his feet felt like they were filled with lead. 

What if Tony had someone over? A boyfriend? Oh god that made him feel sick. What if his boyfriend answered the door? Half naked? Pitying him for turning up and telling him to leave? He couldn't handle this, but his heart was in so much fucking pain and misery. It was KILLING HIM.

And Tony was only a few minutes away. In that house, with the light on. He was right there, not knowing what was about to happen. Or not happen.

It wasn't until Peter felt a drop of rain fall onto his cheek that he realised god had answered him. Or mother nature, or fate, really whoever was listening. He traced his fingers on his skin, wiping the water as another drop fell. He was reminded of the night he first turned up at Tony's. 

He was scared and had no idea what would happen, but he did it. Younger Peter had the bravery to march right up to that house and make himself known, and that was the fucking start of everything. 

One moment. One instant. And Peter made his own fate. 

He'd turned his back on himself before, but no more. As the rain began to fall, Peter kept his eyes on his destination. He walked to begin with, adrenaline starting to rise up inside him. As the rain got heavier, he began to jog, eyes on the door. Tony was getting closer.

Peter's heart was racing, thunder cracking in the background as he began to run. His nerves were swimming through his veins like they had replaced his blood. He was soaking wet, breathless and he didn't want to think about it anymore. 

He reached the door and without taking time to even practice his speech, he knocked on the door hard. Peter's heart was thumping throughout his body, he felt every feeling in the world and it was overwhelming. 

The door unlocked, and as it opened, his eyes finally got to set upon the man he loved. Tony. The older man was perfect still, almost exactly how they left each other, but with one or two grey hairs that Peter adored. He was wearing a tank top and jeans, looking fucking gorgeous. 

The second Tony noticed it was him, his face dropped, and Peter couldn't read his emotions. Instead of waiting for something to happen, he spoke, not even knowing what was coming out of his mouth. The rain was hitting down hard, dripping from his nose as thunder kept roaring behind him.

"I learned how to cook," Peter told him, teary and cold. "I've been ironing my own clothes and I… I bought a set of cutlery, but... they still won't let me use the lawnmower."

Tony furrowed his eyebrows for a second but then remembered the night on the hill when Peter had used those trivial pieces of information as reasons to not move in with him.

"These past six months? Were the most painful and terrifying months of my life! And I know you probably hate me," he cried, shaking with sadness and the cold. "I know you want to slam the door in my face and never see me again, hell, you probably have some hot guy over who can use a lawnmower!" 

The older man's lips curled up a little as he leaned against the door, watching Peter's big speech. 

"But there hasn't been a moment I haven't regretted leaving you! I quit my job, and I moved back here, because all I want is to be with you!" His voice wavered as he cried harder.

"I know I've lost my chance, but damn it, Tony. I'm so fucking in love with you! You consume my every waking thought!" He hiccuped before carrying on. "Leaving you the most stupid, childish and pathetic thing I've ever done! I... I wish that I was smart enough to ss… stay!" 

Tony looked down at the ground so Peter couldn't see his eyes. It was painful and horrible, but the younger man couldn't be rejected. Not from this perfect man. Not now. He kept going.

"You said that I'm your person! I want to be your person, I want that so badly, you have to believe me," 

The older man didn't look up. "You hurt me." He said weakly. 

Gut punch. Peter felt winded and hurt, sobbed harder as apologies flooded from him. "I'm so sorry!" He cried. "I just... I just wanted to be good enough for you! I was dumb, so fucking dumb! I haven't been happy since we've been together! I shouldn't have abandoned you!" 

He couldn't handle it anymore. In the rain and thunder, Peter fell to his knees, not caring how he looked. He had lost everything, and if this is what it takes to get Tony back, he'd do it.

"I'll spend the rest of our lives making it up to you, I p… promise. I'm sorry I ruined your life, okay? I'm… I'm sorry I made you love me, b… but I never stopped! I never stopped!" 

Tony's beautiful hazel eyes looked into his, knocking the wind out of him again. Peter was a dripping, sad mess on the ground. The older man licked his lips and sniffled. "Stand up,"

Peter nodded as he shakily stood back up, nervously standing there vulnerable in the pouring rain. The older man watched him silently for a moment, his eyes taking in Peter. 

Without skipping a beat, Tony stepped forward into the rain and held onto Peter's waist as he captured him in the most beautiful kiss. The moment their lips met was the moment that they both knew that from now on everything would be alright. They pressed against each other. 

Peter's fears melted away as he was being held so close and tenderly. He moaned as Tony deepened the kiss, letting his tongue explore Peter's mouth once more. The rain fell down around them but they didn't care, all they cared about was each other. 

The younger man's arms rose up to wrap around him, thankful for getting to be here in this moment, with this godly man. Tony was holding him once more and that's all that mattered. 

Tony continued to kiss him as his clothes were soaked through, not caring about anything but getting to be with Peter again.  
A sudden strike of thunder pulled them apart, looking at each other. 

"Come inside," Tony smiled at him. "It's raining,"

"Is it?" Peter giggled, "I hardly noticed." His cheeks were red as he stroked Tony's cheek. 

The older man pulled him back into the house and closed the door over, bringing him inside to the warmth. It was quieter inside, warmer and brighter. Tony kissed Peter's forehead.

"Let's get warm," he smiled as he pulled back. "I have a fire in the lounge, I'll go and get us some towels." 

"Okay," Peter spoke softly as he grinned, watching the older man begrudgingly pull away and walk towards the bathroom. Peter kicked off his shoes and looked around as he walked through to the fireplace.

The walls were covered with rows of stacks of books. Everywhere he looked there were notepads and pens. Tony had few decorations, one of which was a small antique statue of Charlie Chaplin. Peter walked over to look at the coffee table. 

On top of it there was a photo frame facing down over a piece of paper. Peter picked it up, realising it was a photo of him and Tony together. Peter smiled as he picked up the piece of paper that was sitting on the side. He walked over to sit beside the fireplace as he read it over. 

_"A memory,_   
_A single touch that took me,_   
_His eyes simply looked through me,_   
_And still I wish him home,_

_A touch,_   
_Better than the first time,_   
_And now we've had our last line,_   
_I wish that I were strong,_

_A man,_   
_I'll give up my whole life for,_   
_The only one I'll adore,_   
_I need him to be here,_

_The past,_   
_I wish I could go live there,_   
_The man who loved me is there,_   
_And still I wish him home."_

Peter read over the words slowly, his heart burning with love and affection. The man had written him a poem, wishing him home, spilling his heart onto the page. He didn't realise that Tony had walked in and was standing behind him, holding onto the towels as he gazed upon the man he missed so much.

"You changed me." Tony spoke from behind him, grabbing his attention. Peter looked up at him, an emotional look on his face. "From the moment you came into my life it's been a wild ride… but… I'm not sorry about any of it."

Peter tried to speak but he somehow lost his voice. He cleared his throat and tried again. "Me neither," he sniffed. "I mean, apart from leaving."

Tony smiled softly and nodded as he walked over to Peter and handed him a towel, before sitting down with him. "I thought I was too. But, I kinda liked your speech." He said as he leaned over and used his towel to dry off Peter's hair. "It was cute."

Peter giggled as his hair was being dried and left a mess. He watched as the older man then went to dry his own hair. He felt honoured and blessed to be allowed to sit here and look at Tony this way. How gorgeous can one man be? 

Peter peered around the room. "So there's no boyfriend hiding somewhere?" He raised an eyebrow and looked over at Tony.

"No. I haven't even thought about getting back out there," Tony confessed sadly as he shrugged. "It's no big deal, I bet you've left a group of heartbroken men behind you?"

The younger man shook his head. "Not one." He replied, "It's kinda hard to look at someone else once I've seen you."

Tony actually blushed as he smiled like a child with a crush, drying himself a little more before flicking his eyes up to Peter's. "I'm still in love with you." He whispered, "I've been miserable without you."

Peter reached over to touch Tony's hand, "Me too." He tilted his head. "I, uh, haven't been able to really focus on anything else because you take up so much space in my mind."

"Yeah?" Tony asked hopefully but with a note of sadness. His eyes were big and filled with love as he half smiled at the younger man. "I haven't even had sex since you, I can't bring myself to. I just want you."

The younger man sat up on his knees, "You have me." He kept his hand on Tony's, lifting it and holding it in his. "You have me now. You have me tomorrow. You have me forever."

Tony reached over and stroked Peter's face, admiring his beauty before letting his hand drop to Peter's shirt. He lifted the hem a little before raising his eyebrows at Peter. The younger man got the idea and sat forward so Tony could gently take the shirt from his body. 

He lifted the soaking wet material over Peter's arms and head, leaving it on the floor before admiring his body. He left his fingers reach over and trace over his skin, noticing how much more toned he was now. Tony's fingers found Peter's nipples, gently rubbing them before holding onto his hips and bringing him even closer. 

Peter watched as Tony's eyes explored his body and his fingers fell on his trousers. The older man leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Peter's clavicle as he undid his trousers, pushing them over his hips and down over his legs. 

The younger man stroked his hair, pulling it back a little to look up at him as he stood up. Their eyes were locked on each other as Tony gazed up at him, eyes dilated and mouth open. Peter slowly stepped from his trousers as Tony held onto his thighs, moving to gently kiss them.

"Tony," he breathed out quietly as he let himself get lost in the older man's touch. His skin was cold but the fire beside him had dried him. The older man moved back and edged down his boxers, freeing Peter's hardened cock in front of his face. 

As Tony moved in to open-mouth kiss his balls, Peter pulled him back again, reaching down to hold his shirt. Tony sat up slightly, pulling his top so Peter could help him pull it over his head. 

As soon as Tony's full chest was bared, he reached up for Peter and pulled him down to his level. His hand sat on Peter's neck as the other one rose to gently move the curls from his face, smiling as he finally felt like his heart was healing. 

Peter stared at him pleading with his eyes, saying sorry with his smile and asking for forgiveness with his touch. He raised his hands to stroke and caress the older man's back, tracing the lines of his shoulders. 

The older man licked his lips, leaning forward to touch his nose against Peter's, gently hovering his lips over the younger man's. Their hot breaths mixed together as they moved around each other, touching, stroking, breathing together. The build up was beyond beautiful, their hearts pounded in their chests.

Peter's hand fell to Tony's trousers, undoing the buttons and pulling them open. The older man moved Peter so he was lying back on the floor in front of the fire, lying beside him as he kicked off his jeans and underwear. 

Peter could have cried. He never thought he'd be able to see Tony like this ever again, and now the gorgeous older man was lying naked beside him, wanting him. 

Tony rolled over onto him, their bodies touching, heat rising up between them as their mouths met. Peter moaned into the kiss, relishing in this moment, feeling excitement and relief in every part of his body. He used his strength to roll Tony over, lying on top of him and his gorgeous body. 

Tony's large hands cupped Peter's ass cheeks, pulling him close and rubbing their cocks together, making them both moan. Peter bit down on the older man's bottom lip as he pulled back, looking down at Tony and stroking his face. 

"I want you," he whispered, tilting his head and stroking Tony's jaw. The older man's lips slowly curled up into the most beautiful grin as he moved forward and captured Peter in a kiss again, wrapping his arms around him and pulling him close. 

He turned them over again, sitting back and eyeing up the flushed, gorgeous, young man lying before him. Tony let his hands smooth over Peter's torso, down to his cock. He wrapped his hand around it as he looked into his eyes, watching Peter's face as he jerked him off.

Peter was breathing heavily as the older man jerked him off, biting his lip as he moaned in desire. Tony jerked his hand three more times before pulling away. He leaned over to the third towel, pulling out a small tube of lube that he had brought down.

The younger man realised that Tony must have seen this coming and giggled slightly as the older man came back to sit between his legs, holding them up and separating them. He opened the lube and covered his fingers, lowering them to Peter's waiting hole.

There wasn't much talking, they talked with their eyes. Tony raised his eyebrows, asking for permission, to which Peter replied with a nod, a smile and a hip wiggle. Tony chuckled as he pushed the first finger inside of him, his own cock twitching with excitement for having the privilege of being inside Peter again.

Peter was flushed, touching his nipple as Tony began to finger fuck him. It felt phenomenal being touched again, having someone moving inside him. The older man's finger slid in and out a few times before adding a second one, stretching him out a little as he went deeper.

"Nnngghhh," Peter moaned, arching his back slightly as he let his eyes close over. Tony worked his way up to a third finger, watching them as they slid fully inside the younger man. He couldn't do it anymore, he needed to be inside him. 

He removed his fingers and lubed up his own cock. Tony was so excited to be with his man again, the soft, beautiful and sweet man who wanted him so much he'd quit his job and travel across the city to fall at his door. Tony lay over him, holding his hip as he moved so the head of his cock was at his entrance. 

"You're beautiful," Tony whispered, "I love you," Slowly, he pushed his cock inside of Peter, stretching him out as he filled him up. Peter's mouth was open as he pressed it up against Tony's ear, moaning erotically as he wrapped his legs around him. 

The older man pushed himself fully into Peter's tight warmth, cursing at how much he missed it as he held Peter close. They began to move against each other, holding on. 

Tony's hips slid back and forth, gently to start with but slowly got faster, thrusting harder and harder into him as Peter tucked his head into Tony's neck. It was golden and magical, Peter was full once more and everything felt okay again, nothing was missing from this moment.

"Tony, I'm sorry," he managed to moan into his ear, gripping at the older man's back as he held on for dear life. Tony was breathing heavily, his cock in bliss as he fucked him. 

"S'okay, Peter," he replied, "I missed you so fucking much - oh my god," 

"I love you!" Peter told him as a tear fell from his eye, one that was made from pleasure and love, "You're so big,"

Tony kept thrusting, moaning as he nibbled on Peter's earlobe. "I love you too," he whispered breathlessly, "Wanna go on top? It'll feel amazing,"

"God yes," he gasped as they rolled over so Tony's back was against the ground. Peter sat above him, making sure he was hitting the best angle before he began to bounce. 

His head fell backwards and his mouth fell open as Tony's cock hit his prostate. His hands were steadying himself on the older man's chest. Tony's hands were on his hips, helping him as he felt the full extent of pleasure. 

Watching Peter fuck himself above him was the most attractive thing he'd ever seen. He thrust his hips upwards to help Peter. The younger man took his cock in his fist and jerked himself off, squeezing as he got lost in the pleasure state he thought he'd never feel again.

"Peter! You're so gorgeous!" He exclaimed as he pulled Peter down to kiss him. "I missed you so much,"

The younger man kissed him hard as their bodies were glistening with sweat. Thrusting, moving and moaning into each other, they drew nearer to their orgasm.

It wasn't just sex. This was their moment. The moment which they could forgive and make new, the moment where they knew that they could make it. School wasn't stopping them. Age wasn't stopping them. Marriage wasn't stopping them.

"Feel so good," Peter moaned against him, hot and sweaty, peachy and breathless as he jirated and trembled against him. "Miss you, daddy," 

Tony's mouth fell open as he felt an electric surge through his body. "Baby!" He cried as he wrapped his arms around Peter and rolled them over, thrusting harder and faster into the younger man. 

"D...dddaaaddyyyy! Fuckfuckfuckfuck!" Peter cried out as his toes curled, legs aching, orgasm nearing. 

"Gonna cum inside you, gonna fill up your perfect ass with my seed," Tony growled, his hair a floppy mess as he pulled on Peter's curls. "Make you mine forever,"

"Oh daddy, I'm… I'm so close… I wanna cum so badly, I'm yours!" He could hardly catch his breath as he suddenly came hard between them with a cry, shooting strings of white cum over their abdomens. 

"Oh… OH MR. STARK!"

As Peter's muscles retracted around Tony's cock, he fell over the edge and exploded inside of the younger man. "FuckfuckFUCK PETER!"

Peter's ass milked his cock as he came largely inside of him, both of them moaning and shaking in each other's arms. Tony rode his orgasm off, both of them ridiculously exhausted and sticky as they fell into a pile of limbs.

Peter pulled himself off and leaned over to press a soft kiss on his lips. "That's number one on my list of making it up to you," he smiled, stroking his arm. 

Tony chuckled, "You don't need to make it up to me." He kissed his nose. "It's made up. It's us."

The younger man's eyes closed as he smiled, relief washing over him, as he could feel himself glowing. Oh and Tony could see that glow, it made him feel at peace and happy. He stroked Peter's face as they listened to the fire. 

"Can you stay over tonight?" Tony asked him, "I'd really love it if you did."

Peter gazed up at him, "I'd love that. Yes please." He gently touched Tony's chest. "But we should get cleaned up a bit, I'm dripping down there." He giggled.

"Can't have that can we?" Tony smirked, "Let's get a bath, and we can talk about everything tomorrow?" He raised an eyebrow as he reached over to hold Peter's hand. 

The younger man nodded, sweetness in his eyes. "Yes please, Tony. Tomorrow."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! How do you feel after this chapter! Let me know all your thoughts, feelings and opinions! I know I usually leave a fic after their coming together sex scene but this is a loved fic and you all deserve more into their life after this. 
> 
> Private twitter @sulphuriccherry - you can DM me there, get updates, do polls etc. ❤


	29. The Discussion

That night was the most healing night that either of them had ever had. Tony ran them both a hot bath, and they lay there in each other's arms as their fingers entwined together. Tony kept his eyes closed as his face was nuzzled into Peter's curls, breathing him in as he gently washed the younger man with a sponge. 

Peter had never made a better decision in his entire life. Coming here tonight was his moment. He finally felt safe and complete, alive and in love. Tony was holding him, loving him, wanting him again. 

Both of them got into some of Tony's fresh sleeping clothes and headed into the bedroom. The bed was large but the room wasn't that big, he had a TV and another pile of books. There was a chest of drawers and the smallest cupboard for his things.

"It's not much," Tony spoke as they climbed into bed, "But it's ours."

Peter looked at him with confusion as he snuggled under the covers. "Ours?"

The older man froze, staring back at him. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to presume anything, I just thought because… nevermind. Forget I said anything."

"I don't want to though," Peter spoke as he held himself up on his side with his arm. "I… I want this to be ours." He reached over to take a hold of Tony's hand. 

Tony looked really emotional as he stared at their hands before his eyes trailed up to meet Peter's. He noticed how serious the look in the younger man's eyes was. He flashed back to the night on the hill and realised how much the younger man had grown. Peter was no longer scared to commit to him and it made his heart beat strongly.

Tony spoke softly, almost like his emotions were taking over him too much to keep his words sounding strong. "Then it's ours." He licked his lips and offered Peter a smile. 

"Can I cuddle in?" Peter asked him.

"You never have to ask me." Tony chuckled as he raised his arm up so that the younger man could cuddle into his chest. Peter curled up against him and rested his face on his chest before putting his arm over him. 

"You smell so nice." Peter commented, "I missed this."

Tony stroked him and kissed his forehead. "I missed this too. God, I'm not going to be able to sleep. I'm afraid I'll wake up and you'll be gone."

"I'll never be gone again." He spoke softly, "I know we said we'd talk tomorrow. But do… do you think we should talk now?" Peter asked as he looked up at him, resting his head on the hand that lay on the older man's chest. 

"I'd like that." Tony told him, swallowing hard as he gently traced the side of the younger man's face. "I… do you want to go first or do you want me to?"

Peter sat up, crossing his legs and pulling a pillow into his lap as he snuggled into it. He got himself comfortable before nodding to Tony. "You can. I, uh, I know it might be hard for me to hear, but I want to hear everything."

Tony moved the pillow behind him slightly so he wasn't hurting his back as he sat up a little. He rubbed his forehead as he took a hasty breath in. "I…" he paused, shaking his head and restarting his sentence. "When you left me, I guess I understood logically. What I asked you to do was a lot, but in a way it wasn't." He looked over at the younger man. 

Peter stayed quiet and listened to him, trying to keep his face straight. 

"I know you're younger by a lot, I know you're just a teenager." Tony sighed, "But we were something different. We were having sex and falling in love, like real love." He spoke passionately as he gestured with his hand. "I never felt so in love in my entire life as I did, or do, with you." 

The younger man nodded, clenching his jaw as he sat and took it all in, letting Tony continue with what he wanted to say. Peter knew that in order for things to work out between them, for them to be okay, he had to sit here and take everything he was given.

"It was painful." Tony told him. "You were just the kid in class who stared at me, and then you turned up in the rain looking so… god damned beautiful. And I fell. And when I was finally able to give you what you want, to be yours and yours alone, you just… you left. You walked out and left me alone with nothing. Because of you my marriage was broken, my job was taken from me, and my house was left behind. I was… I was alone."

Peter closed his eyes and nodded, taking in a deep breath as he bowed his head. He needed to take a few minutes before he spoke to keep himself together. He wanted to be an adult about this, to not break down and cry, to not plead and appeal to Tony's heart. 

He knew he had to accept what he did and how he hurt Tony. But it didn't mean that it was easy. Peter opened his eyes and looked up to the older man, his ex-teacher, the man who he lost his virginity to. 

Tony looked like he was expecting fallback, like he knew Peter was going to excuse himself and say things that would get him out of trouble. But Peter wasn't about to do that.

"You're right." Peter told him, making the older man blink a few times. "I hurt you. And it's the worst thing I could have done, especially given the way I pursued you and made you change your life for me." He needed to pause for a few moments to take a breath. 

"Tony… there's nothing I can say to excuse what I did. But can I tell you why I did it?" 

The older man nodded, "Please."

"I wanted to be man enough for you." Peter said honestly as he shrugged and tilted his head. "I didn't want you to have to cook for me and do all the DIYs in the house because I couldn't do it. I wanted to be able to earn and contribute. I know I call you daddy, but I don't want a dad." He explained. "I needed to be worthy of being in a relationship with a man like you."

"A man like me?" Tony questioned him, straight faced as he rested his head against the pillow behind him. 

"Look at you Tony." Peter gestured to him. "You're physically the most handsome and attractive man on the planet. You're intelligent and smart, you're talented and handy. You're experienced, you're refined, you're charming. And what am I? I'm a kid who didn't know how to iron his own pants? You deserve better than that."

Tony took his eyes away for a moment and stared down at the bed. "I get that." He nodded, looking back to him. "You wanted me to not feel obligated to raise you when we are in a relationship."

"Yes," Peter breathed out in relief. "Exactly."

Tony sat up a little, "I understand why you did what you did. I get how you felt and how you saw things, but from now on? You don't get to decide what I deserve." He told him seriously. "I knew what I was getting into, Peter. I knew who you were, and what our life may have looked like for a while. You just can't decide what I am capable of handling."

"I agree. But I couldn't handle it." Peter told him, reaching out for his hand. "I couldn't handle looking like an idiot in front of you. I wanted you to see me as an equal, I wanted to see myself as an equal. If I didn't go? I wouldn't have realised that I could live on my own. I can live without you, Tony. But I don't want to. I didn't want to have to rely on you to survive. Without you my life is painful and filled with misery, and I needed the chance to live on my own for six months to prove that I'm not being with you because I have to, but because I want to."

Tony's eyes were filled with water as he nodded. A tear fell down his cheek as he let out a sad breath. "Okay," he smiled as he smiled sadly. "Okay, I understand. And I get it, I do. It makes sense… and if, if that's what you needed then it's okay. But tell me, was it easy?"

Peter's eyes stayed on Tony's as he slowly shook his head. "Not for one moment. The moment we stopped talking, I felt dead. I was in pain the entire time, I cried almost every night."

"That makes me feel a little better," Tony laughed a little as he admitted that. "I stopped eating for a while. Sleep was just… impossible."

Peter frowned, he wanted to ask something but he didn't know how. It was a hard question, but he needed to know the answer. "Do you love me less than you did before?"

Tony stared at him. Just stared. The moment felt like it went on forever, but it was only a few seconds. 

"Oh." Peter said quietly, his heart stopped beating. "You love me less."

"No." Tony finally told him. "I love you just as much as I did before you left, but I'm more hurt than I was. I tried to make myself hate you, to make you a villain so it was easier to get over you. But… it was impossible."

"Okay," Peter whispered as he took in all that information. He stayed silent as he tried to process what was being said to him. Even though Tony said that he didn't love him less, he felt like he did. "Okay." He took his hand away and cuddled into his pillow, unable to look Tony in the eyes. 

"Are you okay?" Tony asked him. 

The younger man nodded, his head still bowed slightly. "Yeah." 

"No you're not," Tony spoke lovingly. "Come on, it's your turn now. Tell me if I did something wrong, now's your time."

Peter sat up a bit, straightening his back. He really didn't want to tell Tony this, to make him feel like he'd done something wrong. But he knew that Tony would respect him more for being open and honest. 

"You were unfair on me." Peter started nervously, "You wanted me to commit to something huge out of the blue. Yes, I wanted a relationship. But this is my first relationship, I wanted to date… to slowly move in like they do in the movies, a toothbrush here, a bag there. It was zero to a hundred within the shortest time and you wanted me to be as adult as you. Our ages don't matter for our love… but it matters that we were at different stages. I just finished high school, moving in with a man is a lot of pressure. It was like I missed a step… I was a kid and then I was supposed to skip twenty years and be married or something."

"I see," Tony commented. "You're saying you weren't ready for forever because you… you were still figuring out who you were and what you wanted."

"The only thing I knew was that I wanted you. I needed to know me before I could let myself be an adult." Peter told him, shuffling closer to him. "I… I have loved you since the first moment I first saw you. My brain simply stopped working. I just… I want us to be honest. You're it for me. You're my future. I just needed some time to say goodbye to my childhood and prepare for the rest of my life."

"Come here," Tony reached out his hand, taking Peter's and helping him shuffle closer to his side. They were close enough for Tony to stroke his face, gazing lovingly into his eyes. "You're my future too." He whispered. "What's done is done. We leave it behind and never bring it up in anger. It's a part of our story… and it's not important now."

Peter smiled sweetly, "What's important is that we're here now, together. In our bed."

"So do you want to leave a toothbrush?"

The younger man burst into a giggle as he beamed at him, laughing until his eyes were teary. "I'll leave a little more than a toothbrush." He leaned in to press a soft kiss on Tony's lips, lingering there before pulling back. "I have one more confession."

"Hit me."

"I'm 'Junior Writer'." Peter admitted with a worried look on his face. "I wanted to talk to you but I was scared, and my boss wanted a big piece, and I kinda lost the nerve to tell you it was me."

The older man's lips curved up into the most beautiful smile. "I know." He chuckled, "I knew all along. From the very first email. A Junior Writer from Pennsylvania, who wanted to talk to me about my romantic life? You even used your middle name to try and throw me off, but I knew it was you."

Peter's face lit up with surprise, a shocked smile on his face. "You didn't say anything!" 

"Why do you think I talked to you for so long? I wanted to get information on you too, I needed to know you were okay." Tony raised his finger and tapped Peter's nose playfully. 

The younger man kissed him again, this time sitting there a little longer. It was a soft kiss, one where they stayed in the moment and the slow movements. With their eyes closed, and fingers entwined, both of them let all the tension from the conversation drift away. 

As Peter moved back, he let his hand sit on Tony's chest. "What kind of life do you want, Tony? What do you see for us?"

"Ideally?" Tony asked, raising his eyebrow. "If I had my way, you'd be moving in tomorrow. Or we'd find a bigger place. Aaaaand I'd wake up to you each day. In a year or two we'd be married, and we'd save up so we could spend the weekends abroad."

"No kids?" Peter asked him.

"Oh shit, do you want kids?" Tony's eyes widened. "Because, I'm sorry Peter, but I don't want them." 

"Thank god," Peter smirked, "Me neither. I just want you, and maybe a dog or two." 

Tony let out a massive breath of relief, "You scared the hell out of me for a moment there." He laughed as he held onto Peter's hand tighter. "What do you think about the other stuff? Like moving in and marriage? Of course not tomorrow, I know you need time and -"

The younger man interjected. "I don't need any more time away from you than what I've had. If you want me to move in here in the morning, my bags are already packed. And of course I want to marry you! I'll marry you right now!"

Tony couldn't handle the overflow of emotions running high inside him, listening to the love of his life be so committing and eager to be with him made him burst into tears. He sobbed hard and ugly, shaking uncontrollably.

"Tony?" Peter worried, moving to sit on his knees beside him. The younger man wrapped his arms around Tony's shoulders and held him into his chest for him to cry into.   
Tony pressed his head into Peter's chest, sobbing as he gripped onto his shirt. 

"It's okay," he whispered into his hair. "I love you, Tony Stark. I love you so much. I'm here. I'm not leaving."

As Tony sobbed, he tried to speak. "I'm sorry, I just… I love you so much. Please don't leave again, baby. I can't handle it. I need you in my life."

Peter put his hand under Tony's chin, raising it up to look at him. The older man's cheeks were wet with tears, he looked so vulnerable and embarrassed. "I'm in love with you." Peter's voice broke as he tried to be strong. "I'm never, EVER going to leave you. I love you."

He moved in and captured Tony into a loving yet passionate kiss. It took the older man by surprise, but he accepted it with all the love in his heart. Peter kissed him deeply, taking control as he was the one to use his tongue first. He lay Tony down and lay with him, holding onto his jaw as they made out. 

After a few minutes of blissful snogging, Peter rested his head against his lovers. "I promise you, Tony," he whispered as he gently brought their noses together. "I'm always gonna be your person."

"Keep that promise." Tony spoke with a waver in his voice. "I'm your person too."


	30. Last Chapter

When Tony opened his eyes again, he was enlightened to find out that yesterday wasn't another one of his very vivid dreams. Peter HAD actually turned up at his doorstep and came back to him. They found each other again, and accepted each other. This wasn't just some bizzare fling that happened between two strangers at the wrong time. This was love. This was real. It was suddenly like he was told there would never be rain again.

He awoke to see the sweet and loving younger man beside him, asleep with a smile on his face. This was the first morning in half a year that he was happy about waking up. Tony smiled lovingly as he reached out his hand and gently stroked his face. Peter's face twitched a little, but the subtle smile stayed. 

Tony could not believe how fucking lucky he was, having such a wonderful person actually want him back. There was something about Peter that made his heart beat faster and his eyes see clearer. He adored the younger man with such a burning passion, that he was truly broken and miserable without him. 

He was all set for moving on. Honestly. He had planned to try and forget Peter, try to push him out of his thoughts. But it wasn't working. And the moment he opened that door, and saw Peter standing there in the rain like he did the first time, it was like a reset button. 

Tony saw Peter's face and he was a goner. He wanted him. He loved him. He forgave him way before Peter even made that speech. But he was scared that it wasn't real, that it was either a dream, a delusion or would be taken from him again. 

His heart felt full. As they touched each other and shared last night, their kissing, their talking, their love making, Tony's fire was relit. He didn't care about right and wrong, about legal and not. Not that it was much of an issue now, but he didn't care. They were allowed to be together, and they wanted to be. 

"Are you watching me sleep?" Peter's tired voice came out amusingly, his eyes still closed as he gently woke up.

"Guilty." Tony said softly as he leaned in closer and pressed a gentle kiss to Peter's cheek. "You're here." He blushed, "You're real."

"Guilty," Peter giggled as he opened his eyes fully before rubbing them. "I can be here tonight as well, if you want, that is." He yawned as he snuggled into Tony's chest and pulled his arm around him. 

"Mmm, I would like that very much." Tony commented before kissing his head and snuggling into him. "You're going to have to talk to your aunt, and we need to make sure she's okay with it."

Peter raised his head from Tony's chest and looked up at him, "You wanna come with?" He questioned the older man. "I bet she'll want to actually see us together, and it'll be nice for me. She won't let me move in with a stranger, you know?"

"I met her," Tony pointed out. "I'm sure she remembers me, but if it's important to you then I wouldn't mind."

"She's kinda the only blood relative I have," Peter explained, "And I know you don't have any either. She matters, so it matters to me that you both like each other." He let his fingers softly stroke circles on the older man's chest. 

Tony nodded and smiled, "Then I will make a big effort to get her to like me, because she is our family. If you are mine, and she is yours, then she's mine too."

Peter grinned widely as he leaned over to kiss him, holding his hand against Tony's cheek. "God, I'm so lucky." 

"As am I," Tony replied with a loving tone. "Is this apartment big enough for us?"

"I think so! I mean, until we can save some money and get our dream place. We can eat our dinners by the fire, and snuggle up in bed. I don't own too many things so it won't be a huge mess of clutter." Peter laughed as he pulled the duvet cover over them fully. 

Tony stared at him for a moment, with nothing but admiration in his heart and eyes. "My darling, I wouldn't mind if you had more belongings than I. We'd find a place for it all, as long as I get you, I don't care what you come with." 

"You're so cute," Peter gushed, "Now I really get to experience your boyfriend mode,"

The older man laughed, "You've experienced it before!"

"Yeah but, like, no offence, you had two at the time." Peter pointed out with a smirk, "This time, I get to be number one and you get to come home to me." 

Tony couldn't force the smile from his face as he imagined it. Getting to leave work and coming home after a long day to find the most beautiful man he'd ever seen running into his arms as he walks through the door. Their lives would be everything they want it to be.

"My darling," Tony needed to explain the one worry on his mind, just in case something happened and it set Peter off. He wanted them to be prepared for whatever was going to come their way. "You do know that there will be some backlash. Our ages will mean that people will look at us, make comments, make judgements even. I'll be referred to as some horrible things, and you'll be warned against men like me." He swallowed hard. "And if anyone asks, this started after you turned 18 and left school."

Peter frowned and stared at him. "I know all of that, Tony. I know what people will say… or think… but, god, I don't give a shit. I just want to be with you."

The older man gently stroked Peter's hair, thinking about all the great mornings they had to come. "How did I get so damned lucky?"

Peter blushed, hiding his face in Tony's chest. "Gah, I can't believe all of this. Remember when I first saw you? You were so pretty I could hardly speak? And now I'm in our bed, waking up beside you."

Tony chuckled in reply, thinking all the way back to that day. "You didn't hear me when I asked for your name, you were so embarrassed."

"I was!" Peter sat up, gently stroking Tony's chest and reminiscing. "And then we hugged, and held hands, and then it rained." He stared lovingly at his boyfriend. "We really made it didn't we?"

"We sure did," Tony raised his hand to stroke Peter's chin. "We sure did."

\--------

May was going mad. She knocked on Peter's door with a tray of handmade chocolate chip pancakes and freshly squeezed orange juice. When he didn't answer, she walked in to find him missing, and his bag gone. To begin with, she panicked and worried, but after finding a photo of Mr. Stark on her nephew's bed, she figured where he had gone.

May must have called him eight times, but he didn't answer until the last call. By that time, Peter and Tony were washed and dressed, and had gotten into the car. Tony was nervous, but as they drove to the Parker residence, the younger man helped to ease all of his worries.

"She's a good person," Peter explained, "And to be honest, all she'll really want is for me to be happy." 

Tony tapped on the steering wheel. "You're an adult. You're not a student and I'm not a teacher. Just two people… with a massive age gap." He spoke as if he was trying to memorize his lines. 

"Trust me," Peter gently touched his knee. "I love you. And she'll see that." 

As if by some random act of god, his phone began to ring from his pocket. Peter pulled it out and looked at the called ID. "It's May," he said before answering it.

"Hey!" Peter greeted her happily.

"Peter! Where have you been? I was so worried, I know you're an adult but you just vanished! Are you safe?" 

Peter checked his watch as he replied to her. "Don't worry, May. I'm on my way there, I'll be like, an hour and a half, depending on traffic."

"Do you want food? Are you okay?"

"Food would be good!" He grinned as he looked over to the older man driving beside him. "Make enough for an extra guest, we'll see you very soon." 

"A guest? Okay, okay, I have time to get some food, I'm gonna go to the shop, I'll speak to you soon! I love you!" 

"I love you too," Peter laughed before putting down the phone. "May has decided to run to the shop to get us some lunch in."

Tony nodded and stared at the road as they went around a roundabout. He knew that from now on he was in this relationship, this was it for him. So he had to be honest about how he was feeling, because he vowed to himself to keep the communication better with this one.

"I'm scared," He spoke quietly, focusing on road signs instead of looking sad about it. "I don't want her to think… well, what everyone else will think."

Peter reached over and put his hand on the older man's leg, gently squeezing him. "I know. But she knows you, you've helped us both so much. And all May really wants is for me to be safe and happy, you could always tell her about how you fixed up the apartment, if you want to get brownie points."

Tony smiled and tilted his head, "Yeah, I haven't really done too much wrong. Right? I mean, apart from sleeping with a student…"

The younger man giggled, "Yeah that's not really a selling point. But it's not like it was you pursuing students, it was me and you falling in love." He reminded his boyfriend. "And anyway, it's not like it'll happen again."

"Exactly." Tony confirmed, "It's me and you, and I don't plan on ever leaving you. You're kinda stuck with me until I die of old age," 

Peter blushed, "That definitely sounds like something I am on board with." He smiled as he looked over at Tony, admiring his beauty. "I think if May can see how serious you are about me, that we are really in love, then she will be okay."

"Let's hope so," 

\------

They stood outside the apartment door, taking a deep breath. Peter was waiting for his boyfriend to get the nerve to knock. He watched Tony who was holding onto his hand and staring at the door, waiting for something inside him to make a decision. 

"Please don't be worried," Peter turned to him, holding onto his waist. "You're a good person, and I know that. Tony, you have nothing to fear, the worst thing she can do is tell us she isn't happy about it."

"And then what happens?" Tony raised an eyebrow. "I can't come between you both,"

"You won't! I promise, give me a kiss for good luck." Peter shot him an enticing smile and batted his eyelashes at him.

Tony let out a deep breath and faced him back, reaching out and taking Peter's waist, pulling him close. His eyes looked down at the younger man, smiling sweetly. "You are my good luck," he licked his lips. "Come here,"

They came together in a sweet kiss, holding each other close. Peter's hands were on his neck, holding him close as he used his lips to promise Tony that things would be okay. The older man smiled into the kiss as his hands sat on the small of Peter's back, keeping his body against him. 

Moments passed and they forgot there they were, Peter's fingers stroking his skin as s Tony opened up the kiss, letting his tongue enter the younger man's mouth. Both of them got lost in each other, almost jumping out of their skins when the door swung open and a surprised May stood there. 

"Oh! Boys!" She gasped. Both of them pulled apart and looked over at May with shocked and embarrassed expressions on their faces. 

"I'm sorry, Miss Parker - you shouldn't have had to see that," Tony spoke faster than he could think. Peter held onto his hand tight and laughed in awkwardness as May just blinked a few times. 

"It's okay, that's what couples do," she smiled as she pulled the door more open. "Come on in, the food is nearly ready and Happy is making drinks."

Peter and Tony held hands as they walked into the apartment, noticing that the place had been cleaned and tidied up. May went into talking mode so that it didn't feel too awkward for everyone. 

"You haven't been here since that horrible night, have you Mr. Stark? It's much brighter now, oh, wait, should I call you Mr. Stark or Tony? Is Tony short for something? Anthony maybe?" She talked fast as she moved some things off the countertop.

"Uh, Tony's fine, thank you!" He answered her as Peter led him to sit at the table. "Who's Happy?" Tony raised an eyebrow as he looked to Peter. 

"Harold? You know, uh, Chef Hogan? We call him Happy now," 

"Oh!" Tony's face lit up, looking over to the kitchen to see Happy walk through from the bathroom and over to May. "Hey Harold!" 

Happy looked up and grinned, "Tony! It's Happy now! Nice to see you! Would you like a drink?" 

"I'll have whatever you're having, surprise me." He smiled as he sat down at the table next to Peter, holding onto his hand tightly. 

"Coming right up!" Happy turned around to fetch them all a drink. 

"Soooo," May smiled as she walked over to them and sat down, "What's going on? I assume that something big is happening or there wouldn't be such an awkward tension with you both?"

Tony looked over to Peter with a worried expression as the younger man took over, putting his free hand on Tony's arm. "Well, yes actually." Peter smiled at Tony and then over to his aunt. 

"I want to talk to you about me and Tony, we, uh, so we're back together." Peter started as Happy placed all their drinks on the table and pulled up a seat. "And it's pretty serious, so we just kind of want to tell you both, to make sure everyone is okay with it and to tell you that…" Peter looked to Happy and then to May. "I'm moving in with him."

May sat back with her eyebrows raised, taking a deep breath as she took in the information. Tony was holding his breath as him and Peter stroked each other's hand under the table. 

"That's good news!" Happy spoke before the silence could take over and make it weird. "You two are in a proper relationship then are you?"

Tony swallowed hard as he nodded. Peter replied for them both, "We are," he cleared his throat. "I love him."

May wanted to speak but really didn't know how to go about this. Of course she was happy that Peter was in love and found someone he wants to be with, but she was also very protective over him. "This is real then?" She asked, sitting forward. "You're moving in with your teacher?"

Peter nodded. "I am," he replied, "But he isn't my teacher anymore. I'm eighteen and we really want to be together." He furrowed his eyebrows as he stared at her. 

"Okay," she replied slowly. She looked over at Tony who looked positively terrified of her at this moment. "You do seem like a good person, and I like you Tony, I really do. You've been there for Peter, I just… I need to know that he's going to be okay, that there won't be anymore breakups or hurt. The age difference is very big, as you both know."

Tony sat up straighter and cleared his throat. "I understand," he swallowed hard. "It wasn't my intention to fall in love, and now that I have, I'm in this." He explained as bravely as he could. "Peter is the best thing to happen to me, and I know it might look weird, but we spent all night talking about what we want and we both want the same things. I have no intention of taking him away from you, or… or hurting Peter in any way." 

Peter leaned against his side as he interjected into the conversation. "We really do love each other," he spoke to the rest of them. "I came back for him, and he's done a lot for me, and for you, not that you know that."

"What do you mean?" Happy asked him, resting his arms on the table. 

Tony shook his head, bowing it slightly. "It's nothing. Not important,"

"No," Peter looked at him, "It is important," he then turned his attention over to his aunt. "Tony was the one who helped us with money for food and rent, and he also fixed the apartment up for us. This wasn't all me, I couldn't have done it without him."

May was surprised but was extremely happy to hear this, a smile crawled onto her face as she looked up at him. "That's… that's so nice of you! Thank you! Honestly, Tony, that's so sweet. I can see that you care,"

"I really do!" Tony told her, "Look, I know how this seems. I know we're going to get a lot of stigma and hate, and it does look weird from the outside." He trailed his eyes over to the younger man, and the moment he did, his fears just drifted away from him. "I'll do anything to protect him, anything to keep him feeling loved. This isn't just a fling for me, Miss Parker. I truly adore your nephew," 

Peter and Tony shared a sweet smile before turning back to look at Happy and May for really any sort of reaction. Much to their surprise, May looked rather happy for tem both. "Well," she grinned, "Then I am all for this. If you love my little nugget as much as I do, then I give you my blessing."

Tony let out a sigh of relief and relaxed a little, smiling as he nodded. "Thank you, honestly. And we'd love it if you came over for food at ours whenever you want to, wow, I'm just so pleased you're okay with this."

"I told you it'd be okay," Peter smiled, "We're all going to be okay from now on."

Lunch in the Parker household ended up being really fun, it was sort of like one weird family, and Tony started to feel at home. Happy and May had arranged a lovely meal for them and they sat there for two hours eating and talking, and it seemed that May was really coming around on the idea of her nephew being with an older man. 

She was a little hesitant still, a part of her would always be because of the circumstances. Tony was a little older than her, so it was extremely weird, but when she saw the way Tony looked at Peter, she believed him.

The two of them really seemed like they were in love, and it was refreshing to see someone looking at Peter with such a strong sense of admiration and adoration. By the end of the meal, Happy had offered his help to Peter to get him moved and out the house, even though he hadn't been back a day yet. 

May got emotional for a while, because her boy wasn't back for long before he left again. But Peter promised her that they would see each other much more often than they had been before. 

\---

Things were going the way they wanted it to! May and Happy gave their blessings, and they were back together. Peter was adamant to get himself a job and bring money into the house, but mainly because he wanted to buy them a dog. 

Tony couldn't believe how lucky he was. As Happy and May helped Peter bring his belongings into the house, and moved everything around so there was enough space for both of them, the older man stayed out of the way. 

He knew that it was a much smaller life than he had been used to, and it was a quieter life. But he had the most beautiful person in the world to love, and to be loved in return. 

As Peter smiled, it filled Tony's life with sunshine. As he laughed, it made Tony's life better. He was sure that whatever was to come their way, they would get past it no problem, because they were doing it together.

He didn't mind that Peter and his makeshift family were moving his furniture and setting the place up so it was 'homey' for them both. In fact, he knew May would want to give it a mother's touch. All Tony was looking forward to was the end, where he could snuggle into his boy, and not ever worry again. 

\---

Two days later and Tony came home from a long day at work to find Peter snuggled up in front of the fire with a blanket around him as his nose was in a book. The older man leaned against the door frame and watched him with a smile, undoing his shirt sleeve buttons and folding them up his arms. 

Peter was obviously enjoying the book, his head was tilted to the side as his eyes scanned over the words. He had his reading face on, which was extremely cute. Tony looked at him and saw what he had always wanted to see, pure happiness. 

"You look comfortable, enjoying your book?" Tony asked warmly. 

Peter peered up to see him, his entire face lighting up as he dropped his book. He jumped up and ran over to Tony, jumping up and wrapping his arms around him. "You're home! I missed you!" He kissed Tony's cheek and snuggled into him. 

Tony held him, dropping his bag from his shoulders to the floor in order to hug Peter properly. "I missed you too," he grinned. "I've had such a long day, tell me what you've been up to."

"Missing you," Peter kissed his neck, "Maybe I can help you relieve some tension?" He dropped his hand down Tony's body. "Show you how much I've missed you."

The older man chuckled, "You really are the best thing to come home to." He held onto Peter's back. "Come on, let's go upstairs." He whispered. 

Peter stood back, smirking as he stroked Tony's face with his thumb, his eyes glowing with a sweet sense of comfort and warmth. "God I love you," he told him. 

"I love you too, Peter." Tony whispered as he leaned in for a soft kiss. "I'll always love you."

\---

Tony and Peter fell onto the bed, kissing each other with such a passion, a need. Peter was beneath him, hard and rutting upwards, needing his man to satisfy him, to make him feel loved and needed. Tony was kissing him hard, his fingers under his shirt and playing with his nipples, pinching them a little.

The older man was on fire, his body was burning with the knowledge that they were perfect together. When they touched it was magical, when they came together it was like a religious event. He lusted after him, needed him, and now Peter was his to devour. 

Peter was stripped naked, clothes ripped off as his perfect body was bared for Tony to ravish. The older man settled between Peter's legs, stroking him, kissing him, licking him. He arranged Peter's long legs around his shoulders as he sucked him down. 

The younger man was a complete mess, panting heavily as he stared down at the love of his life. Tony had a mouthful of his cock, sucking him, groaning as he slurped around him. Peter had his hand in his own hair, his mouth open as he arched his back. 

"Fuck! Oh shit, daddy please!" Peter cried out, thrusting up into his partners mouth. Tony was bobbing his head, deep throating him so Peter's cock hit the back of his throat. He knew how much his boy loved this, how his toes were curling tightly, how Peter was coming undone.

"Ohmygod! You're the best… you're the very best, daddy!" Peter exclaimed as he felt his orgasm coming near. He loved this part, because when he looked down he could see the man he loved most in the world staring up at him, wanting him to cum, adoring him. 

Peter was in a state of ecstasy, he stroked Tony's hair as he gasped out loud. "I'm gonna… oh shit daddy, I'm… I'm cumming!" He arched up as he came hard down the older man's throat.

Tony drank him down, staying there until Peter was soft before he let him go. He smiled up at the sweaty, glowing man in their bed, who wore a massive grin on his face. "I'm never gonna get used to how much I love hearing you cum," he whispered as he kissed Peter softly.

Peter spun them around, pinning Tony to the bed. He looked down at him with a flirtatious expression on his face. "Your turn,"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Omg we are at the end! This has been so much fun. I LOVE all you amazing readers and commenters, 100,000 words and 30 chapters later you're all still with me. Thank you for all your support and love, please give me some comments, however long you want, tell me anything. You guys light up my life, 
> 
> Keep your eyes peeled for more fics ♥️

**Author's Note:**

> PLEASE GO REREAD CHAPTER 2 I realised there was a chunk missing at the start that I had accidentally deleted. After ages of digging I found it and edited back in, I am so sorry for the mess there, I hope you like it.
> 
> Priv twitter is sulphuriccherry


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